


Planetouched

by z3phyros



Series: Planetouched Universe [1]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: D&D AU, Multi, aasimar!Sinbad, no really I am that much of a nerd, pre-AliMor, pre-JuHaku, tiefling!Ja'far
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-05-17 04:14:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 115,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5853778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/z3phyros/pseuds/z3phyros
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Tiefling assassin is given an unusual job.  Nothing goes as planned, which is probably for the best.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cross-posting this from my tumblr.

Ja'far had just returned from his last mission- he was literally reporting in when he was handed the new assignment, in fact. He was given a location, and told that he would be briefed there on his next mission- and no, he couldn't delegate it to someone lower ranking, he was to do this mission himself. The 'or else we'll summarily execute you' was unsaid but implied.  


So off Ja'far went to meet his mysterious new employer. The location was an abandoned building in the lower city; obviously, they didn't want Ja'far knowing who he was working for. There were no guards outside when Ja'far arrived, which was unnerving; it meant he was either working for a complete idiot, or someone too powerful to really need him. Neither made Ja'far feel particularly happy about this assignment.  


But an order was an order, so in he went. There were footprints in the dust, which had to be his employer's. He followed them into the building, to a room well away from the boarded-up windows. His weapons were in his hands when he pushed the door open.  


“Put those away.” It was a female voice, darkly amused. She was the only one visible in the candlelit room, and she was swathed in dark robes that obscured her figure. “You won't be needing those just yet.”  


Ja'far didn't put them away, simply crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. “You're Falan?”  


“That's right. And you're Ja'far.”  


“Yeah.”  


She chuckled. “You're younger than I thought you'd be, kiddo.”  


“Call me 'kiddo' again and I'll rip your throat out.” _I'm not a kid anymore, I'm eighteen for fuck's sake!_  


“Fiesty, aren't we?” She walked over to the table where the candles were. “Come here, Ja'far. I have a target for you.”  


 _No_ shit _you do,_ thought Ja'far testily, but he had the sense not to say it aloud. Some extra sense was screaming 'danger' the closer he got to the woman. “Just one?”  


Falan looked over at him, surprised. “Yes?”  


“Huh.” Ja'far shrugged. “So who is it?”  


“Why did you ask if there was going to be only one?” Falan asked, curious.  


“This is a lot of secrecy for just one person,” Ja'far said dryly. “And unless I'm a complete fucking _moron,_ you're powerful enough to take on most people alone.”  


Falan laughed. “Aww, you're a charmer, aren't you?” she joked. “But you're right. There are a few reasons I can't do this myself, which I won't get into. Here's a sketch of your target.” She removed a piece of paper from her sleeve, putting it down on the table.  


The man in the sketch was an attractive young man with long, slightly messy hair. “His name is Sinbad,” Falan said. “He's about twenty. Medium-dark skin, purple hair. Sort of gold eyes. We _think_ he's a human, but no one's confirmed it- he could have some elvish or draconic ancestry, though. He's a powerful swordsman, with access to a number of magic items.” She smiled darkly. “That's another aspect of this job- I'd like those magic items of his returned to me. He has something of mine, and I need it back.”  


“What specifically am I getting back for you?” Ja'far asked, committing the face in the sketch to memory. “Besides his head.”  


“Just bring everything he's got on him that has any magic,” Falan replied. “Don't complain, you'll be paid well for it.”  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. “I'm a fucking _professional,_ I'm not going to hold the item hostage for extra pay.”  


“Still can't tell you which thing it is.” Falan shrugged. “It's nothing personal.”  


“Fine. What're you paying me?” Ja'far asked, annoyed.  


Falan named a sum that was, honestly, completely insane. Ja'far stared at her, disbelief written plainly across his face. She grinned. “No, I'm not kidding. This one may take you a while, you're bringing expensive stuff back for me, you'll be going pretty far afield, _and_ you can't tell a soul any of the details!”  


“Including my superiors?”  


“Right. They know you're going to be gone a while, but no more than that,” Falan replied. “In fact, you'll be leaving from here directly.”  


_Oh, this is utter bullshit...is she fucking with me? There's nothing about this that doesn't scream set-up! Once I bring back what she wants, she'll leave me dead in a fucking gutter._ But Ja'far couldn't turn the job down- not only would his superiors kill him, he doubted this woman would let him leave the room alive. _Taking the job will buy me time, I hope- I can figure out what to do while I'm working._ “That's fine. Where was he last seen?”  


“Your target was last seen on a ship heading north, to the city of Dessili,” Falan replied.  


Ja'far raised an eyebrow. _Where the fuck is Dessili?_  


“Dessili's on the northern continent,” Falan said, answering his unasked question. “It's outside your Guild's usual range, but we want the best of the best on this.”  


_Well, if she's not planning to kill me, she's hoping to buy me,_ Ja'far thought. _Not that it's going to work, my loyalty always has to be to the Guild first and foremost._  


Falan gave him some money for travel expenses, and dumped him on a ship going to Dessili. And that was that. Well, not _quite;_ Ja'far did some asking around on board the ship and found that his target had acquired quite a reputation.  


'Sinbad'. An adventurer of sorts; a man who had seen fit to rob a dragon and the government of his own home country. It was hard to tell who was more angry with him. As far as anyone knew at this point, Sinbad traveled alone, and never stayed in one place for very long. A female assassin would have been a more logical choice. A pretty girl would definitely put the man off his guard. Maybe they were worried Sinbad would charm a female assassin?  


But that was neither here nor there. Ja'far could deal with him. Quick and easy, and he could be done with the job and on to deal with the aftermath. Whatever that ended up being. No use matter how he looked at it, though, he wasn't sure if he _could_ deal with Falan. Unless those magic items his target supposedly had were very powerful...  


The trip to Dessili itself was uneventful; Ja'far took the opportunity to rest up. He hadn't been able to after his last mission, so the two-week voyage was a welcome respite. And, thanks to Falan, Ja'far had enough money to eat three meals a day for a change. That was a welcome change from the usual.  


All good things had to end eventually, though, and Ja'far eventually arrived in Dessili. The city was further north than he'd ever been, and there was a chill to the air that was unusual, even beyond winters back at the Guild's main base. But Ja'far was trained to put up with anything, so he pulled his cloak tighter around him and ignored the frosty air. He pulled his hood up even before he got off the ship- it would cover his distinctive hair and the nubs of horn that were sometimes visible through it, and the air was cool enough that it wouldn't look too out of place.  


_Where to start...well, I guess taverns or brothels are a place to start. Ugh. Taverns it is,_ he decided. He didn't particularly enjoy drinking, though- hopefully he could drink a bare minimum without looking out of place.  


The first three proved worthless, but in the fourth his ears caught something interesting at last.  


“-in the mountains.”  


“Right, folk have been going missing around there, haven't they?”  


“Yeah, tha's right. But this guy, he says he'll go bring 'em back if they're alive.”  


“And...if not?”  


“Stop whatever's killing folks.”  


“Who's this?” asked another man.  


The first shrugged. “Some foreign kid. Name's Sinbad? I _tried_ to stop him, but he wouldn't listen.”  


Ja'far groaned quietly, resting his head on his hand. _Great. Now I have to chase him into the mountains, while he goes to fight some fucking monster. Delightful._ “How long ago was this?” he asked.  


“Earlier this afternoon. Who're you?”  


“I was supposed to meet up with Sinbad,” he replied. Well, it was true enough.  


“Oh. Well, friend, you're probably out of luck. He went up into the mountains to the west of the village, to investigate some disappearances that've been going on. Said it was his job to help us out.”  


Ja'far sighed. “I see. Well...thanks for letting me know,” he said. This job sucks. “I suppose I should be on my way, then.”  


“What, are you going after him? Don't do it, you'll just get yourself killed!”  


“I'll be fine.” He got up and left, not caring that he'd barely touched his drink. That didn't matter now; he had a direction. _Maybe it would've been better if he'd been in a whorehouse after all..._  


*****  


The trek towards the mountains wasn't as long as he'd been worried about. It was late at night by the time he got into them, but he was too strong to worry about most wild animals- not that they'd be moving through the trees like he was. And besides, he could see perfectly in the dark. If anything was coming for him, he'd know.  


The moon was high in the sky when he saw the campfire. Ja'far narrowed his eyes, wondering if his target was that stupid (conveniently forgetting not everyone could see in the dark the way he could). _It could be a trick, or unrelated...still, I'd better check it out._ Moving silently through the trees, he closed in on the point of light.  


Lying next to the fire was a man, clearly asleep. He looked around twenty- only a couple years older than Ja'far- with bronzed skin gleaming in the firelight. Dark hair fell across his face. He matched the target's description, certainly. Somehow, this careless idiot was enough to trouble an army and a dragon.  


Well, there was no one else around. And the target was still sleeping- he hadn't stirred when Ja'far closed in. Time to get this done. Ja'far threw his knives, aiming for his target's throat. _Too easy._  


...The idiot _rolled out of the way in his sleep._ Ja'far's jaw dropped. _You have_ got _to be fucking kidding me!_ Tugging the knives out of the ground by the wires, Ja'far got ready to throw them again. And...again, the asshole rolled out of the way.  


By this point, Ja'far was sure the guy was actually awake and just fucking with him. Fine. _If I get you point-blank, it won't matter if you try to dodge._ He leapt out of his tree, silent as an owl and ready to drive his knives into his target's neck.  


A stick snapped in the fire, and his target opened his eyes. He went from fast asleep to wide awake before Ja'far could land on him, and kicked out, sending Ja'far flying. Ja'far landed like a cat, trying not to show how much that had _hurt. Asshole kicks like a mule, dammit..._  


“Who are you?” his target asked, picking up a sword and standing up in one smooth movement. His eyes gleamed dark gold in the firelight, more fascinated than afraid.  


Ja'far growled, circling around the fire. He let his target think that he was using it as cover- and then charged straight into it, kicking burning wood and embers at the target's face. It barely hurt him; he was naturally fire-resistant. Hopefully his target was not.  


His target ducked and rolled out of the way, almost as though he'd seen the move coming a mile away. “Try not to burn the forest down,” he said, grinning.  


Trying to ignore his taunting, Ja'far used his knives to pull himself back into the trees. _Should I fall back for now...? I've definitely lost the element of surprise. No...better give it another shot, I'm sure I can get him from the trees._  


“Hey, come on, what did I do to you?”  


“Just shut _up_ already!” Ja'far snapped, launching himself from the trees, knives at the ready.  


His target actually looked worried for a minute...before he unleashed a bolt of lightning from his sword, shocking Ja'far. Ja'far fell to the ground, but stumbled to his feet again in a second. “Impressive- most people would drop from that,” Sinbad said. He hit him with another lightning bolt, and Ja'far lost consciousness.  


He woke up with every inch of his body feeling like it had been trampled- and, more importantly, with his arms and legs bound. The pain he could deal with. He opened his eyes, trying not to let on how alert he was. His erstwhile target was watching him, gold eyes alight with curiosity. “Wow, you woke up fast- good thing I got you tied up so quickly.”  


“...Your knots are good,” Ja'far said grudgingly.  


“I was a sailor for a while, they'd better be,” he replied cheerfully. “So, who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?”  


Ja'far shrugged. “It's a job.” He was subtly testing the knots, working a bit of blade out of his boot. Sinbad hadn't disarmed him that thoroughly- he'd probably woken up too fast. That was lucky.  


“Hmm. Alright, who hired you, then?”  


“Who knows?”  


“You, hopefully.”  


“Too bad for you.” Ja'far grinned. “I don't.”  


His target raised his eyebrows. “Really.”  


“Really. They weren't very forthcoming with details.”  


“Don't you have a guess or anything?”  


“I don't know, you've pissed off a _lot_ of people. And a dragon.”  


“That's true,” he said, laughing.  


There, he had his arms free. Ja'far hid his relief, raising an eyebrow at his target. “Not to mention, given the rumors I've heard about your track record with women...”  


“That's true...still, the military seems most likely. Must not have wanted to send troops after one man. Or they wanted to take me by surprise, which they definitely did.”  


_I hope_ this _takes you by surprise,_ Ja'far thought, freeing his legs and throwing out a Darkness spell. The clearing was plunged into supernatural shadow, and Ja'far grabbed his weapons and got the fuck out of there. _No sense attacking now, I have to try and surprise him again. Ugh, this job fucking_ sucks.  


He had barely gotten clear of the area when a bright blaze of light overwhelmed the darkness he'd laid down. Alarmed, he went still, not wanting to risk any movement until he knew if he was being pursued. _Tell me he's not a spellcaster, too...if it's not just magic items, I am going to fucking murder Falan. This just keeps getting better and better. Good thing I pulled back when I did. I'll try tailing him for now...see if I can figure out a good way to get the drop on him._


	2. Chapter two

After spending the remainder of the night catnapping in a tree, Ja'far set out to track his target. His obnoxiously lucky, overly strong, possibly magical target. _Ugh. This job is turning into a serious pain in the ass…no wonder Falan’s paying me so much for it,_ he thought sourly.  


Following Sinbad was not all that difficult; the man wasn’t going out of his way to be stealthy. Ja'far just wished he could tell whether the target was aware of his presence or not. He seemed to be on guard, but not nervous, which quite frankly pissed Ja'far off. _He doesn’t see me as a threat at all, does he? Fucking asshole._  


Around noon, they reached the mouth of a cave. Sinbad crouched down, investigating the ground near the opening. “Looks like I’m not the first one here. Hmm…no one seems to have left, either. I bet this is where everyone went,” he said to himself. He stood up and stretched. “Well…here goes. Oh…” Turning around and cupping his hands to his mouth, he called out, “Hey! If you’re still around after last night, can we wait to settle things until after I finish this?”  


Ja'far blinked, but stayed where he was. _Why would I respond to that?_ he wondered.  


“I bet you can hear me,” his target continued. “Anyway, you should wait out here. I want to talk to you after I save these people- you can try to kill me again then, if you want.”  


_He wants to_ talk _to me? Why?_  


“Whoever you are, you’re skilled. But I don’t think you want to follow me into this cave. Whatever’s in there isn’t your problem,” he said. “I’ll come back out of here, of course, so there’s no reason for you to follow me.”  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. _You’re an idiot. I had no idea it was possible to be this thick-skulled._ He could tell his target wasn’t lying about wanting to wait to settle things- he just wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t just convenience, and he wasn’t afraid of Ja'far at all (conceited prick)- so what was it?  


Now Ja'far was curious.  


Dangerous, that.  


His target seemed content with the lack of response, and pulled a torch out of his pack, lighting it. Taking a deep breath, he entered the cave. Ja'far watched him disappear into the shadows, waiting a few minutes more before jumping out of his tree. With silent steps, he followed his target into the cave.  


Ja'far could feel something was off the moment he left the light of day. There was something down there, something dark and malicious. It was bad enough that Ja'far’s skin was crawling- and he had seen things that would send normal people over the edge into insanity without batting an eye.  


Up ahead, he could see the light of his target’s torch. It messed with his vision, to be honest, but…it was a convenient was to measure the distance between them, at least. Pushing back his hood to maximize his field of vision, Ja'far silently closed the distance, careful to stay in the darkness.  


As he got closer, his target commented, “I thought I told you to stay outside.”  


Ja'far froze. _How did he…?_  


“You _are_ here, right?” His target turned around, frowning into the darkness. “I can feel you, even if I can’t see you. There’s no way you’re going to sneak up on me, especially in here.”  


_Go fuck yourself,_ Ja'far thought.  


“Well…be careful, I guess. There’s something down here, and I don’t like the feel of it.”  


“You are such a fucking moron,” Ja'far snapped, temper getting the best of him. “I’m here to kill you, I don’t give a _damn_ about whatever’s in here.”  


The asshole laughed. “And there you are. Why did you follow me? You could’ve ambushed me at the entrance on my way back out.”  


“And if you left by a different route?” Ja'far retorted. “There’s really no reason for me to listen to you anyway, since I’m going to kill you.”  


“I guess.” His target sounded too damn amused. “What’s your name?”  


“Why would I tell you?”  


“Well, if you’re going to kill me, it doesn’t matter that I know, right?”  


“Go fuck yourself.”  


“Do you _have_ a name?”  


“Yes.” Ja'far sighed. The element of surprise was out the window, obviously. He edged forward, barely into the ring of torchlight. “You’re never going to see whatever’s in here coming if you don’t do something about that damn glare from the torch, you know.”  


“Well, I can’t see when it’s pitch dark.”  


“Too bad for you.”  


“Can you? No wonder you were able to get away so fast last night,” his target commented.  


_If I destroy his light source, I can take care of him easily…_ Ja'far considered this for a moment, but decided against it. _Not yet, anyway. Later. When I can catch him off guard._  


“So far, all I see are humanoid footprints leading further down the tunnel,” his target said, almost to himself. “No signs of a struggle, nothing leading back. This is so strange…”  


“Something must have lured them,” Ja'far said. He felt too uneasy- exposed. There was nowhere to hide, and the thing in here was…nasty. The darkness around them had a potency that even Ja'far found disturbing.  


“You might be right. But what, and why isn’t it bothering us yet?”  


“Maybe we’re different.” _I mean, I know I am. Don’t know about you, though._  


Sinbad turned to look at him, golden eyes brightened by torchlight. “…Yeah, I guess we are.”  


Ja'far shoved him to distract himself from his growing unease. “So what now? Got some master plan to lure it out?”  


For some reason, Sinbad seemed to think this was funny. “Luring it out isn’t the way, I think. I’m going to need to go to it.”  


“What, are you stupid? Or just that arrogant? Challenging it on its own fucking turf?”  


“Maybe I am arrogant,” he admitted, shrugging. “But I know I’m going to be fine.”  


“Yeah, that’s fucking arrogance if I ever heard any,” Ja'far said, rolling his eyes. He paused, feeling…something, like a touch on the edge of his mind. It was weird, and he didn’t like it. “Hey, stop a second.”  


Sinbad stopped. “Hm? Something wrong?”  


“Ugh, get that damn torch out of the way- I can’t see shit,” Ja'far snapped, shoving Sinbad’s arm to the side. He peered forward into the darkness, careful not to turn his back to Sinbad. The dark corridor sharpened, and he could see further than before. “…It opens up soon. Whatever you’re looking for is down there.” _We should turn back, this isn’t going to end well._  


“Can you see it?”  


“No, asshole, I can _feel_ it,” Ja'far said, turning to glare at his target. “Can’t you?”  


“I mean, there’s something evil down there, sure, but that’s all I know,” Sinbad said, frowning. “Do you know what it is?”  


“Bad fucking news, that’s all.”  


Sinbad nodded decisively. “Alright. Stay behind me. I’ve got this.”  


“…What is _wrong_ with you? I’m going to _kill_ you, and you want me behind you?”  


“Not right now, you aren’t. There’s bigger fish to fry.” With that, Sinbad was moving forward again, not bothering to wait for Ja'far to retort. For a moment Ja'far stood frozen, torn between stabbing Sinbad before getting the _fuck_ out of there and just straight-up running from the dark thing down the hall. That bright figure lit by torchlight was moving with such determination- it was as if Ja'far could see him glowing, almost. His radiance was kind of pissing Ja'far off…but it was drawing him in at the same time. Like a moth about to get its wings burned off in a candle flame.  


With a flick of his wrists, his knives were in his hands. The steel was comforting in his hands, steadying him. Like a pale shadow, he followed Sinbad into the main chamber of the cave.  


In that chamber, he could see perfectly- though Sinbad likely had problems, since the torch barely illuminated a quarter of it. Ja'far could see a ragged group of a dozen or so humans chained together. Some recently chewed bones littered the floor- not all of the missing people were still alive, apparently.  


But the most commanding presence in the room was the monster that stood in front of Sinbad. It had to be nine feet tall, and was roughly humanoid in shape, except it was covered in chains. Or perhaps made out of them, in part. Ashen pale flesh showed through in places, scarred heavily.  


“What an unlikely combination,” it said, voice surprisingly human-sounding. “A child of the divine…and a child descended from my own kind.”  


“We aren’t working together,” Ja'far said coldly. “I’m going to kill him later, assuming you don’t. Don’t get the wrong idea.” _Child of the divine…that makes more sense than it should. So he’s the complete opposite of me._  


Sinbad laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m your opponent. What do you want with these people, anyway?”  


“Their suffering brings me pleasure as I recover,” the monster said, amused. “But I think I needn’t wait any longer…a great source of strength has appeared. I can use it to recover _much_ more quickly.”  


Chains shot out, and Sinbad ducked. “Shit- hey, run! He means _you!”_  


Ja'far dodged, rolling out of the way of the chains. Their movement was familiar, somehow. “I can look out for myself!”  


“Then _do_ it! Run!” Sinbad was going to attack it- his sword was sparking with electricity and a brightness that was a little hard to look at.  


For a second, Ja'far thought he was actually about to do as Sinbad was telling him. But that was before he threw his knives, wrapping the wires around the chain monster’s legs. He yanked with all his strength, unbalancing it. It shrieked as Sinbad’s sword drove into it.  


_“HOW DARE YOU- TO SIDE WITH ONE OF THEM!” _The voice was as much inside Ja'far’s head as something spoken aloud, and the force brought him to his knees, hands over his ears. He barely saw Sinbad get flung back, skittering into the cave wall. Inside his mind, he recognized the monster- it was a chain devil, a Kyton. He knew that, somehow. He knew, as he tried to stand, that it was useless.  
__

Chains wrapped around his limbs, immobilizing him. _“FILTHY LITTLE BRAT…HAVE YOU BECOME SO BLIND TO WHAT YOU ARE? YOU WOULD SIDE WITH A BEING OF DIVINE LIGHT AGAINST ME, ONE OF YOUR OWN KIN?”_  


“Fuck off!” he yelled. “I don’t _have_ any ‘kin’, and you just want to use me anyway!”  


The Kyton lifted him up, then slammed him into the ground. Ja'far tasted blood in his mouth. He spat it at the Kyton, defiant. _“YOU WILL LEARN YOUR PLACE, CHILD. YOUR KIND EXIST BY OUR MERCY, AND I-”_  


“Let him _go!”_ Sinbad stabbed the Kyton in the arm.  


It didn’t loosen its grip on Ja'far, and bound Sinbad with more chains. _“STAY OUT OF THIS. I WILL DRAIN THIS REBELLIOUS CHILD AND HE WILL LEARN OBEDIENCE.”_  


_Why is he trying to help me…?_ Ja'far wondered, feeling energy seep from him. Sinbad was still struggling, calling out to him, but suddenly it was hard to focus on what he was saying. Well, he was the enemy…it wasn’t important. Not anymore.  


Everything was growing dark.  


_“YOU BELONG TO ME, NOW. YOU WILL OBEY ME.”_  


_“You belong to the Guild, from birth to death. Obey them or die, no matter what they ask.”_  


_“But they want me to-”_  


_“No matter what they ask. Disobedience is death, understand?”_  


Ja'far struggled weakly, shaking his head to drive the memory away.  


_“It’s endurance training. An assassin must be able to endure any amount of pain.”_  


_“Mom, stop it, please! That hurts!”_  


_“Don’t you want to survive? Shut up and accept it.”_  


The spiked chains digging into him were nothing to the pain in his mind. Every memory of the pain he’d experienced throughout his life was dredging itself up, blooming again as if it were happening all over.  


_“Endure this silently. None must know if you are hurt, because weaknesses-”_  


_“-L-Lead to death. Yes, master…”_  


_“If you are captured, you have to be able to withstand torture. No one will ever save you, you’d have to get out on your own if you wanted to survive.”_  


Someone was shouting, but it didn’t matter anymore…did it?  


_“Kill them. You have to kill them if you wish to live.”_  


_“…But mom and dad…”_  


_“If you don’t do it, they will kill you.”_  


_“No…no, they- Dad? What are you doing? Stop!”_  


There was light, suddenly. Blinding, burning…welcoming? Ja'far blinked, vision swimming with more than just pain. Those golden eyes again…meeting his with something 

Ja'far didn’t understand. “Hey, don’t give up like this. You don’t have to belong to anyone who’s going to hurt you,” Sinbad said, reaching for his hand.  


“…I don’t want your pity,” Ja'far snapped, rubbing at his eyes. _Am I crying…?_  


“It’s not that. It’s compassion, that’s different.”  


“They’re just words. Doesn’t matter. There’s nowhere for someone like me, anyway.” _I failed, I can’t escape like this…_  


“Yes, there is!”  


“…Where?”  


“With me!” Sinbad said, smiling. “I was hoping I could convince you to join me, you know. That’s why I wanted to put off fighting you. Maybe if I showed off enough, you 

would realize trying to kill me won’t do you any good, and you would join me.”  


Ja'far blinked. “But…I’m an assassin. I’m being paid to kill you. Why would you want someone like me?”  


“I think we’d work well together. Something about you tells me I’d be an idiot to waste this chance, you know?” Sinbad took Ja'far’s hand with both of his own. “You don’t have to be alone. And I’ll never hurt you, I promise you that. So fight beside me.”  


“…You’re serious, aren’t you?”  


“Completely. Come on, we can do this together.”  


Ja'far laughed, wiping his eyes. “…You’re insane. You know that, right?”  


“So people say.”  


“…Thank you.”  


The light faded to a more comfortable level, and Ja'far opened his eyes. _Was that a hallucination? No…no, that was real._ He could see Sinbad, still struggling in the monster’s grip, could feel the chains still gripping his own body.  


He concentrated his strength into a single surge, casting his knives again. No tricks this time; he was aiming straight for the Kyton’s neck.  


It wasn’t expecting him to attack, and it _screamed_ as its chains loosened, dropping both of them. Sinbad was moving almost before he hit the ground, jumping at the monster and burying his brightly glowing sword in its throat, cutting off the scream into a choked gurgle.  


The Kyton and its chains vanished in a surge of black. Ja'far sank to his knees, feeling weak and shaking all over. Slowly, he wound the wires back around his arms, trying to focus only on that. Everything else was too overwhelming. Dimly, he heard Sinbad talking to the former prisoners; gently reassuring them.  


Then Sinbad came over to him. “Hey, can you stand? We should get out of here.”  


Ja'far nodded, trying to get up. He swayed dizzily, but Sinbad caught him before he fell. “I can walk,” Ja'far complained.  


“Liar.” Sinbad scooped him up, carrying him easily. “Wow, you’re even lighter than I thought. Do you even eat?”  


“Shut up.” Ja'far sighed, looking up at Sinbad. “What…did you do, earlier?”  


“Not completely sure, to be honest. I was breaking out of something kind of similar myself, and I was thinking about trying to get everyone out of here, and, well… I found you trapped there,” he replied.  


“Why bother helping me?”  


Sinbad shrugged. “I mean, I wanted you to join me, like I told you. Besides, I couldn’t just leave you in there.”  


_You easily could have…_ “Join you, huh…just what are you doing, if you want someone like me?” Ja'far asked.  


“There’s a lot of monsters in this world- and some who come from beyond it,” Sinbad explained. “I want to protect people from them. They’ve knocked the world out of balance, even more than it already was. I want to restore that balance.”  


Ja'far snorted. “So…you’re recruiting a monster to help you. Seems reasonable.”  


“You? You’re not a monster.”  


“What makes you say that?”  


“It seems pretty obvious to me.”  


Sighing, Ja'far wondered why he believed what Sinbad was saying. It didn’t make that much sense, but…he really believed him. “You know the Guild’s going to come after me, right? And my former employer will be after my blood, too. Not to mention yours, since you’re their target and all.”  


“I figured as much. We have a little time to decide what to do, though, so we’ll talk about it later,” Sinbad said.  


They emerged into the sunlight. Ja'far sighed, pulling his hood back up with hands that only shook a little. “…Put me down, I feel fine now.”  


“You sure?”  


“Yeah. Wouldn’t do you much good if I couldn’t handle something like this, right?” Ja'far asked, elbowing Sinbad lightly.  


He set Ja'far down carefully, making sure he could stand before letting go. “Well, hopefully we don’t encounter something like that again.”  


“True. I’ll scout ahead,” Ja'far said, throwing his knives and using the wires to boost himself into a tree. He wobbled a little as he landed on the narrow branch- _guess I’m weaker than I thought-_ but steadied himself quickly.  


“Don’t push yourself too much,” Sinbad called after him.  


“I know my own limits, thanks,” Ja'far retorted. _I’m not stupid._ He climbed to the canopy, scanning the area. Things weren’t so quiet anymore; the birds were back, for one thing. But there was nothing threatening that he could see or sense.  


Really, he was only uneasy because everything had just changed completely in a matter of…hours? Minutes? Or rather, _he_ had been changed in such a short amount of time, by the very man he’d been tasked with killing. Sinbad was terrifying that way. _Even last night, he could see me as someone worth recruiting…and now he’s gone out of his way to save me._ He shook his head. _Obviously, it was only my skills he was thinking of last night, but…what did he see that made him want to help me?_  


_And why am I so willing to go along with him?_  


He dropped back down, using the wires on his knives to control his momentum. “Looks like we’re clear. Makes sense- everything’s been steering clear of the Kyton,” he reported.  


“Thanks, Ja'far,” Sinbad said.  


Ja'far blinked. “…When did I tell you my name?”  


“You didn’t, I heard it in your head,” Sinbad replied.  


“Eavesdropping is rude,” Ja'far said, frowning. _Just how much of what I was remembering did he hear, anyway…?_  


Sinbad just laughed. “Alright, everyone, let’s get you all home!” he called out to the former prisoners.


	3. Chapter three

The return trip was fairly uneventful; Ja'far kept himself on guard duty the entire time to prevent himself from thinking about his new situation, and Sinbad was preoccupied making sure all the former prisoners were capable of walking home. The two of them were hailed as heroes (an extremely bizarre experience for Ja'far) when they returned, and were plied with food and drink and promises of rewards until even Sinbad was tired.  


“Where are you staying?” Sinbad asked him eventually.  


“I didn’t have anywhere to stay yet,” Ja'far replied. “I just went after you right away. But now that we’re working together…”  


“Better to stick together. Right. Well, didn’t really plan on sharing a room, but it’s no big deal if we’re both guys,” Sinbad said with a shrug.  


“Yeah, given what I’ve heard about you and women, I’m glad I’m not one right now.”  


Sinbad laughed. “Harsh. But probably fair. Let’s go to bed, I’m exhausted.”  


They trudged up the stairs to the room they were going to be sharing. Ja'far poked around out of habit- though they likely had a little time before they could expect any retaliation from the Guild or Falan, it didn’t do to be careless. The room was not the most secure place to sleep, but Ja'far supposed they would have to make do. _If I’d surprised him here, I would have had such an easy time killing him,_ he thought uncomfortably.  


“Meet your standards?” Sinbad teased.  


“Not at all, but it’ll do for tonight,” Ja'far replied dryly. He sat down in the corner opposite the window- if anyone tried to come in that way, he’d see them before they got in, and he’d also be able to cover the door. No one would get to Sinbad before Ja'far had been able to attack them.  


Sinbad raised an eyebrow at him. “You could have the bed if you want, I know you’re tired. Or we could share, I don’t care either way.”  


“This is fine.”  


Kneeling in front of him and pushing Ja'far’s hood back, Sinbad frowned at him. “Are you planning to sleep at _all?”_  


“I can catnap for a bit like I did last night if I need to. It’s not a problem.” Ja'far batted Sinbad’s hand away and tugged his hood forward again. “I’m trained for things like this.”  


“Hmm.” Sinbad stood, stretching. “Alright. Fine. We’ll have to find somewhere you can sleep like a normal person, though. And where you can take that hood off. It makes you look kind of shady, you know.”  


Ja'far snorted. “Right, and the horns make me look like an upstanding citizen.”  


“I don’t know, I think they’re cute.”  


Ja'far stared at him. “…You _are_ insane.”  


“They almost blend in with your hair, anyway. They’d be more noticeable if they were bigger, like when you were a kid in your memories,” Sinbad pointed out. He flopped onto the bed. “…Why are they smaller now? I’d think it would be the opposite.”  


“They got filed down,” Ja'far replied. “Enough to be less conspicuous, at least.” _So he didn’t see everything…that’s a relief._  


Sinbad propped himself up on his elbows, staring at Ja'far with wide eyes. “Didn’t it _hurt?”_  


Ja'far shrugged. “Not until they hit the actual bone. They’ve healed now, but they don’t seem to be growing back.”  


“Your Guild sounds worse and worse the more I hear.”  


“I guess.”  


With a heavy sigh, Sinbad sat up and started pulling off his outer layers. “Well, you’re free of them now, so at least there’s that.” He wriggled under the covers, settling in for the night. “Try to get some sleep, will you?”  


“Worry about yourself. You’re less used to going without it,” Ja'far replied, resting his chin on his knees.  


“Thanks, _mom.”_  


It didn’t take long for Sinbad to fall asleep. Ja'far watched the rise and fall of his former target’s chest, lulled slightly by the even rhythm. _Why am I doing this?_ he wondered, hugging his knees tightly. _I could still change my mind. I could save my own skin right now- slit his throat and get the hell out of here. I know I could never escape the Guild, so…_  


Before he could second guess himself, he was on his feet. He crossed the room silently, knives in his hands with a flick of his wrists. Holding them over Sinbad’s chest, he looked down at his target. _I can bring everything back to what it’s supposed to be. I can still walk away from this, still deal with Falan and go back to the Guild. Everything can go back to normal._  


But he couldn’t get the thought of those warm, golden eyes out of his mind. Sinbad’s voice echoed in his mind. _“You don’t have to belong to anyone who’s going to hurt you. You don’t have to be alone.”_ Ja'far hesitated, hands beginning to shake.  


_No one’s ever reached out to me like that. No one’s ever tried to protect me before- no one was ever supposed to. He’s…the only one who’s ever…_  


_Cared._  


Ja'far stepped back, letting himself sink to the ground silently. He hugged himself tightly, instinctively adjusting his grip on his knives so he wouldn’t cut himself. _I can’t do it,_ he realized, fear trickling down his spine. His eyes were hot, and his throat felt tight. _Not even to save myself, why can’t I…?_  


“…Ja'far?” Sinbad’s voice, drowsy and confused. “You alright?”  


“Go back to sleep,” Ja'far said, voice strained to his own ears.  


“Mmm. If you’re sure,” Sinbad replied. His breathing slowly evened out again.  


Ja'far rubbed at his eyes, cursing himself for ten kinds of stupidity. _There’s no point getting emotional. It never helps. Emotions are what got me here in the first place, so they’re sure as hell not getting me out._ He sat back, eyes focusing on Sinbad again. _But…what can I do? Falan isn’t the only one who wants him dead, and the Guild…with them after me, I’ll be as much of a danger to him as a help, won’t I?_  


_I’ll just have to protect him, then. Keep him safe from the Guild, Falan, and everything else that stands in our way._  


Settling back into his corner, Ja'far let his newfound resolution carry him through the night.  


*****  


Late the next morning, Sinbad finally woke up. Ja'far snapped out of his half-doze, grey eyes becoming alert as Sinbad sat up, yawning and stretching. Sleep-dazed gold blinked at him, clearly still processing this whole ‘awake’ thing. “…Did you sleep at all?” Sinbad asked, confused.  


Ja'far nodded. “A bit, yeah.”  


“You can have the bed now, if you want. I’m going to get food.”  


“I’ll come with you.”  


“You sure? It won’t hurt you to get some actual sleep, you know.”  


Shaking his head, Ja'far stood. “Don’t worry about me. It’s weird.”  


“Fine. We should probably talk about where we’re going next, anyway,” Sinbad said, sighing.  


“Finally, you show some signs of planning ahead,” Ja'far grumbled.  


Sinbad laughed. “I usually plan ahead. Doesn’t mean everything goes _exactly_ the way I planned.”  


“That’s fair…”  


They headed downstairs and ordered food. The two of them went to a table off to the side to wait. “So how much influence does your Guild have, anyway?” Sinbad asked.  


Ja'far shrugged. “We’re mostly based on the central continent, so my coming out here was unusual. They won’t exactly want to let me go, though, so they’ll be willing to take risks to get rid of me or get me back. Not to mention, they’ll want to finish the job I was supposed to do.”  


“So we’ll be staying away from the central continent for a while. Got it,” Sinbad said. He rested his chin on his hand, studying Ja'far curiously. “Now that we’re on the same side, do you have any guesses about who sent you after me?”  


“I found out that the dragon you robbed has connections to a cult. One that some of the higher-ups in the Guild are part of. Wouldn’t surprise me if that was who hired me,” Ja'far said. “The person I spoke to was a woman going by the name 'Falan’- I couldn’t tell much about her, but she felt like some kind of spellcaster. Speaking of…there was a magic item you stole that she wants back. She didn’t give me a very good description of it- she probably thought I might steal it. I’m guessing it isn’t the sword.”  


“No, the sword was my dad’s,” Sinbad replied. He bit his lip, thinking it over. “…I made off with a _lot_ of magic items. Sold some of them- that’s how I could afford to enchant my sword. She sure I still have it?”  


“She seemed to be.”  


“Hmm. Wonder what in particular they were so upset over?” Sinbad mused. “We’ll have to figure that out sooner or later. For now, though, how long do you think we have before they come after us?”  


“We’re far enough away from the central continent to have a few days,” Ja'far replied. “A week at most- I don’t want to underestimate that woman.”  


“Alright. That isn’t so bad,” Sinbad said, grinning.  


Their food arrived then, and discussion paused for a little while. Ja'far ate fast- his food was gone in a matter of moments, and he looked up to find Sinbad was staring at him. “What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.  


“…I wasn’t paying attention last night, but…do you _always_ eat like that?” Sinbad asked.  


“Like what?”  


“Like someone’s going to steal your plate if you don’t finish as quick as you could. Seriously, did you even chew?”  


“Is that weird?” Ja'far asked.  


“Pretty weird, yeah. My mom always said I’d make myself sick if I ate too fast.”  


“Mine told me that if I eat slow, poisons have more time to take effect,” Ja'far replied.  


Sinbad stared at him. “…Is that actually true?”  


Ja'far shrugged. “Who knows?”  


“Didn’t want to risk it, huh?”  


“Basically. So where are we going?” Ja'far asked.  


“Imuchakk. There’s a tribe of giants living up in the north, which would be interesting enough on its own. But there’s a bunch of monsters up there, so that’s the real reason I’m going. I want to learn how they fight them,” Sinbad explained. His eyes were alight with excitement, and Ja'far couldn’t help smiling.  


“If they’re giants, won’t their techniques be useless to you?” he pointed out.  


Shaking his head, Sinbad replied, “Not necessarily. They may be giants _technically,_ but they’re only about nine feet tall.”  


“Right, _only.”_  


“Well, to a dragon, that wouldn’t be much difference,” Sinbad pointed out.  


Ja'far grimaced. “Good point.”  


Once Sinbad had finished eating, they retreated upstairs again. Sinbad dumped out a pack full of a random assortment of objects…except they were no ordinary odds and ends. Even though his own magical ability was negligible, Ja'far could still sense that some of the things so carelessly dumped on the floor were magic. Sinbad grinned at him. “I know. It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”  


Nodding mutely, Ja'far picked up a hat. It looked normal enough, but if it had been in a dragon’s hoard… He stared at Sinbad. “…This shouldn’t all fit in that pack of yours.”  


“No, that’s magic, too,” he explained. His eyes still had that gleam of excitement, which was somehow more mesmerizing to Ja'far than the fortune in magic that lay on the floor. “I didn’t want to sell everything, because I don’t know what a lot of these _are._ But there was even more than that- so much I couldn’t even begin to take it all. Ja'far, you should have seen it- gold, gems, more scrolls and staffs than you could imagine, things I couldn’t even describe.”  


“What are you going to do with all this?” Jaf'ar asked.  


“First, figure out what it is. There’s spells to identify this stuff, so I’ll have to learn them, I guess. Then we can figure out what _they’re_ after, and how to deal with it. Maybe we can sell more of this? I know we’ll need supplies to get to Imuchakk, and maybe we should look into better gear for you.”  


Ja'far scowled, fingers brushing his knives. “My gear’s fine.”  


“About the only thing that looks like it’s in good repair’s those knives of yours. Your clothes look like you’ve dragged them through every bush between here and the southern continent,” Sinbad pointed out.  


“Not _your_ problem, you’re not wearing them.”  


“Yeah, but wouldn’t you rather have something newer?”  


“I don’t care.” That was a lie.  


Sinbad spun a ring on the floor, eying Ja'far with a deliberately neutral expression. “Well… we _could_ enchant those knives of yours. Like what I did with my sword. Not that you can’t do plenty of damage without magic, but…”  


_With magic, I would be more useful- especially against larger opponents, or people like Falan._ “That…doesn’t sound bad,” Ja'far said slowly. _But wouldn’t I have to give them up while they’re getting enchanted?_  


“You don’t sound sold, though.”  


“Mm. Shit’s expensive.”  


Sinbad shrugged. “Yeah, true. But think of it as an investment! Especially since we’ll be working together from now on- we need to have the best gear, right?”  


“That’s true,” Ja'far admitted.  


There was a look of sudden comprehension on Sinbad’s face, and he asked, “You have back up weapons, right? It probably won’t take them long to do the enchantments.”  


“I’m not worried,” Ja'far snapped, fidgeting with the chain of an amulet. The thought of taking off his main weapon was daunting, though- he hadn’t had them out of his sight since he had started training with them, and he only removed them completely if he needed to replace the wires.  


To his relief, Sinbad pretended to believe him. “Alright. Let’s go find a magic shop!”  


Ja'far sighed. “I’d better take these off first, then.” He took of his cloak and shirt and began disarming. Unwinding himself from his wires was a bit of a process- one of the main reasons he never took them off completely. Ja'far could feel Sinbad watching, and periodic glances up revealed that he had no qualms about staring at Ja'far in open fascination. “Is it really that interesting?” Ja'far asked dryly.  


“Yeah, actually,” Sinbad replied, grinning. “I’d been wondering how those worked.”  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. “You could have asked.” He coiled the wires, sticking them into his belt and putting his shirt and cloak back on. At least it seemed to be the weapons and not the scars that had grabbed Sinbad’s interest. Pity was something he could do without.  


“You wouldn’t have told me,” Sinbad pointed out cheerfully. “Ready to go?”  


“Yeah.”  


They set out from the inn. After a little while, Sinbad asked, “Why not just wrap something around your head? It wouldn’t look so much like you’re a fugitive.”  


“My hair’s weird, too. I’d stand out no matter what I do,” Ja'far replied, rolling his eyes.  


“There’s different kinds of standing out, though.”  


Giving him a blank look, Ja'far asked, “What are you talking about?”  


“I mean, there’s making people remember you because you look suspicious, and there’s making people look twice because you look unusual,” Sinbad elaborated. “I get the second one a lot- people think I look exotic or something- but if I didn’t _do_ anything, they’d forget all about me soon enough.”  


“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Ja'far said, shaking his head.  


“Really, though, if you clean up and put on some nicer clothes, people will be too busy checking you out to-”  


“Now I _know_ you’re full of shit.”  


Sinbad clearly had more to say, but he dropped the subject, smiling and shrugging it off. That was a relief- or was it disappointing? Either way, Ja'far was content to follow him quietly, keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings while Sinbad talked to passersby in order to get directions.


	4. Chapter four

Finally, they reached a magic store. It was bigger than Ja'far had thought it would be, actually- bigger than any of the nearby shops, in fact, especially if the forge next door was part of it. “Huh,” Sinbad said, echoing his surprise. “Well, this is bigger than what I was expecting from somewhere this far north.”  


They went inside, staring around with fascination. The walls were lined with shelves of scrolls, boxes of wands, and racks of staffs. There were racks of cloaks, boots, and various other clothing arranged along the floor. And along the back wall behind the counter, there were racks displaying swords and other weapons. The whole place reeked of magic.  


“…I need to rob five more dragons and come back here,” Sinbad muttered.  


“Make it ten, I want about half of this,” Ja'far replied quietly.  


“It’s a deal.”  


A middle-aged man in a soot-stained apron came out from the back. “Can I help you, gentlemen?” he asked.  


“Yes.” Sinbad cleared his throat. “Yes, please. Do you take items in trade?”  


“Usually, yes,” he replied. “What do you have for me?”  


Sinbad grinned. “Well, we aren’t _completely sure, but I have a feeling you can help us there.”_  


The shopkeeper nodded. “Follow me to the back counter,” he said. “I suppose you found this in a monster’s lair?”  


“That’s right,” Sinbad said. “Get that a lot?”  


“Well, _you_ don’t look like a thief, so that was the next best guess. If it was just your friend, there, I’d be a bit more concerned,” the shopkeeper said bluntly.  


Sinbad nudged Ja'far. “Told you you look suspicious.”  


“Shut up,” Ja'far muttered.  


While Sinbad and the shopkeeper discussed the items in Sinbad’s bag, Ja'far left them to it, looking around the store instead. There was plenty to see, though that wasn’t what Ja'far was concerned with. He knew there wasn’t anyone else in the store with them, but paranoia was hard to shake. Falan really had him nervous. _How long do we really have before she learns what happened? Or does she already know? I have no idea what kind of magic she has…_  


“Hey, Ja'far! If you’re going to space out like that, could you grab a healing wand and a wand of identification?” Sinbad called out to him.  


Ja'far sighed. “Yeah, yeah…” He went over, getting a wand from each of the relevant boxes. Then he rejoined Sinbad at the counter. “So? Anything good?”  


“Apparently, yes,” Sinbad told him. “Come on, let’s figure out what to put on your knives.”  


“Alright.” To the shopkeeper, he said, “What can I get?”  


“What would you like them to do?”  


Ja'far shrugged. “I’d like them to do the lightning thing his sword does. Maybe something to make me more effective against magic.” He put the weapons down on the counter. It felt intensely uncomfortable, putting them down like that- Ja'far actually felt a little nauseous, though he hid it. Giving up his weapons was tantamount to suicide, that had been drilled into his skull since birth.  


The shopkeeper nodded thoughtfully. “Alright, I can easily put all of those on there. And those would be within your budget. These weapons are certainly unusual- I’ve never seen anything quite like them.”  


Ja'far shrugged. “I’ve only seen one other person use them.”  


“How long would enchanting them take?” Sinbad asked.  


“They’ll be ready tomorrow afternoon,” the shopkeeper replied.  


“Damn, that’s fast,” Sinbad said, impressed.  


“I know what I’m doing. Besides, these weapons are very well made, and they feel like magic will stick well to them. Anything else you’re looking for? You have a bit of credit left.”  


“Hmm… What do you have for seeing in the dark?” Sinbad asked.  


“These goggles.” The shopkeeper tossed them to Sinbad. “Oh, and here’s the ring you wanted. Want the rest in gold?”  


“Please.”  


The shopkeeper handed him some gold. “There you are. I’ll go ahead and get started on the bola daggers,” he said.  


“Thanks! We’ll come see you tomorrow,” Sinbad said, grinning.  


“Thanks,” Ja'far echoed quietly.  


“You’re welcome. The other thing you wanted me to check on ought to be done by then, too.”  


As they left, Ja'far asked, “Other thing?”  


“There was something he couldn’t identify right away.”  


Ja'far frowned. “What if it’s what Falan wants?”  


“He’s got protection on his store, he’ll be fine overnight.”  


“I hope so. What’s the ring for?”  


“That’s for you,” Sinbad replied, holding it out to him. “Invisibility ring.”  


“What?” Ja'far blinked at him, confused. “You don’t want it?”  


“It makes more sense for you to have one- you’re suited to sneak attacks,” Sinbad pointed out. “I would waste the advantage- I’m not as good at moving quietly.”  


Ja'far tilted his head. “You bought it to give to me?”  


“Yes?”  


“Why?”  


“Look, Ja'far, I just want to make sure my partner is well-equipped. Is that weird?” Sinbad asked. “I’m going to be relying on you, trusting you with my back. So I want to keep you safe, too; I want to make sure we can both do our best. _Neither_ of us are expendable.”  


Ja'far stared at him for a few moments, then quickly snatched the ring and put it on. He twisted it on his finger, feeling a slight buzz of magic as it activated. “You’re insane. I was trying to fucking _kill_ you yesterday, remember?”  


“And now you aren’t,” Sinbad replied, shrugging. “You aren’t going to kill me- if you were, you would have done it last night. Wow, even your shadow vanished!”  


“Shut up.”  


“Are you _hiding?”_ Sinbad asked, failing to keep his amusement contained.  


“Shut _up,_ Sin!”  


Sinbad laughed, looking delighted for some reason. “You really are, aren’t you?”  


“Go fuck yourself. Where are we going now?”  


“We’re going to find some cold-weather clothing. I need some, you need some. It’s freezing up north,” Sinbad replied.  


“What I’m wearing is fine.”  


“Do you know what snow is?”  


“Yes.”  


“It does that _all the time._ Your cloak is wearing through in places, there’s no way you’re going to survive if that’s the warmest thing you’ve got. And if you don’t have boots, your feet are going to fall off.”  


Ja'far sighed. “Fine, then.” He twisted the ring again, returning to visibility so Sinbad could see him scowling. “You really don’t think I’m expendable?”  


“I don’t just think that, I _know_ it,” Sinbad replied, smiling. Suddenly, Ja'far felt warm- as if he’d been standing in bright sunlight.  


By the time they’d found a clothing store, Ja'far had calmed down somewhat. As Sinbad flirted with the woman who greeted them, Ja'far looked in the full-length mirror nearby.  


Maybe Sinbad was right about him looking suspicious. His clothes were ragged, and despite being washed as frequently as he could manage, they looked greyish-brownish instead of their original white. The wild strands of white hair sticking out from under his hood didn’t help, nor did the dirty cloth wrapped around his feet in place of shoes.  


He looked especially dirty and drab next to Sinbad- even if his clothes weren’t the greatest, they fit him, and looked newer and _cleaner._ Sinbad was well-groomed; his long, purple hair was glossy and well-kept and tied back neatly (and Ja'far found himself wanting to touch it, but that was beside the point), and everything about him just seemed to _shine._ Though some of that was probably thanks to his divine heritage.  


With a resigned sigh, he nudged Sinbad sharply. “Is your offer about other clothes still open?” he asked.  


“Yeah, why?”  


“…I might take you up on it.”  


*****  


The next morning, Ja'far didn’t go to breakfast with Sinbad- since he had new clothes, he wanted a _bath,_ dammit. Presumably, Sinbad could look out for himself for at least that long. Much to Ja'far’s bewilderment, the bath was _warm._ Ja'far wasn’t sure how to feel about that- on the one hand, he felt cleaner than he could ever remember being, but on the other hand, he didn’t want to get out of it. And once he _did_ convince himself to get out, he felt cold, which was annoying. But once he dried his hair and got his new clothes on, he felt a lot better. Part of that definitely had to do with how soft and warm and comfortable his new clothes were. And clean. He appreciated things that were clean- unfortunate, given his line of work. Or…former line of work.  


He wrapped a length of green cloth around his head, tying it like a bandage the way Sinbad had suggested. _It_ does _limit my vision a lot less than a hood…I guess I’ll wear this for now,_ he decided.  


Ja'far headed downstairs to the common room, hoping he hadn’t been gone too long. Everything seemed fine, though- Sinbad was sitting alone, drinking something that probably wasn’t tea. Ja'far sighed and went over to join him.  


“Knew you’d clean up nicely,” Sinbad teased, grinning at him. “Feel better?”  


Nodding, Ja'far sat next to him. “…Thanks.”  


“No worries! Hungry?”  


“Only a little,” Ja'far said, shrugging.  


Sinbad smiled. “Come on, I waited for you. Let’s eat.”  


“You…waited for me?”  


“Yeah.”  


After the two of them ordered food, Sinbad studied him quietly, long enough that Ja'far began to strongly consider turning invisible again. _“What?”_  


“Nothing. It’s nice to be able to see your face better,” Sinbad replied, smiling.  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. “Yes, now you can clearly see how much you’re annoying me. Congratulations.” _I didn’t leave you alone long enough for you to get drunk, did I?_  


“And I can see your eyes. And those cute freckles of yours,” he teased.  


“If you _ever_ call _any_ part of me ’cute’ again, I will stab you,” Ja'far threatened, eyes narrowing.  


Sinbad laughed, not seeming remotely bothered. “What if I just call you cute in general?”  


“Then you’re a liar for one thing, and for another I’ll smother you in your sleep.”  


“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sinbad said, grinning. “You _do_ look better, now, though. Less feral.”  


“I feel better,” Ja'far admitted, looking down. He folded his arms on the table, hands tucked into his loose sleeves. The gesture would have been more comforting if he was wearing his weapons, but…well, he wasn’t. He could feel the callouses on his arms where the wires usually rested, which just made him feel more naked. _Soon. I’ll have them back soon._  


“Good. Anyway, we’ll set out after we pick up your weapons,” Sinbad said. “It’ll be a bit of a late start, but that won’t be much of a problem for us- you’re probably as used to the road as I am.”  


“Probably more so,” Ja'far replied. “How many towns will we run into, going north?”  


Sinbad shrugged. “Not very many- and this is the biggest town we’ll see until we reach the main center of Imuchakk. The more we’re going to want a warm, sheltered place to sleep, the fewer places like that we’re going to find.”  


“And _this_ is where you want to learn about monster-slaying?”  


“I mean, it would be nice if I could learn on a tropical island with a bunch of beautiful women, but that’s not how life works, I guess.”  


Ja'far snorted. “I still don’t get why the Guild didn’t send a woman after you.”  


“Well, I _do_ have a habit of charming most women I meet,” Sinbad said thoughtfully. “Guess they thought you’d be immune.”  


“I’m not _charmed,_ so they were right about that,” Ja'far retorted.  


“What, not even a little?”  


“Not even a little.”  


They were interrupted by the arrival of their food, which they both ate quickly. Ja'far tried to eat more slowly than usual. It felt unnatural, though, so he gave up and wolfed everything down like usual. After that, they went back to the room to pack everything.  


Finally, it was time to go pick up Ja'far’s weapons. They headed over to the magic shop, Ja'far walking a lot more quickly than usual. “They’re not going to run away on you, you know,” Sinbad pointed out.  


“I’m not stupid,” Ja'far snapped.  


Sinbad chuckled. “I know.”  


But they got there eventually. Ja'far hurried to the back counter, looking around for the shopkeeper. _Where is he? Is he still in the forge? Did he run off with-_  


“Ah, there you are.” The shopkeeper came out of a back room, Ja'far’s weapons in hand. He did a double take, looking at Ja'far, but elected not to comment. “Here are your weapons.”  


Ja'far took them eagerly, barely resisting the urge to snatch them away from the man. He felt an odd tingle, like the faintest spark of electricity. But more than that, the steel felt right in his hands, and he felt ten times better having them back. “…Thank you.”  


“You’re welcome. I added something a little extra to them- it felt like there was already a bit of an enchantment on them, so I enhanced it for you. Try commanding them to move a certain way, if you don’t mind?”  


_Already enchanted…? That can’t be right,_ Ja'far thought. But he held out his arms, quietly commanding them to go back to their usual positions on his arms. Much to his surprise, the wires lovingly twined themselves around his arms, under his sleeves, almost like affectionate snakes. Ja'far blinked down at the knives, back in their usual position at his wrists. “That’s…interesting.”  


“They’ll work the same as before, but you can control the movements a little more closely,” the shopkeeper explained.  


Ja'far shook his sleeves back into place, comforted by the familiar weight. “Do they do the other things I asked for as well?”  


“Yeah, those were easy enough to add.”  


“Good.” _Controlling their movements…like the Kyton and its chains?_ He tucked his hands in his sleeves, touching the wires. _It_ did _say I was descended from its kind. And I’ve always been unnaturally good with these. Maybe that’s why._  


“Did you figure out that other thing?” Sinbad asked.  


The shopkeeper shook his head. “I have no idea what it is. But it’s definitely magical, and I think it’s evil, on top of that.” He handed Sinbad a fist-sized stone- dark blue, opaque, and shaped like an egg. “My advice? Get rid of it.”  


Sinbad tucked it away in his pack. “Once I find a good way to do it, I will. Thanks for your help.”  


“Right. Good luck.”  


With that, they left the shop. Sinbad sighed. “Well, time to say goodbye to Dessili.”  


“Good. We’ll be harder to track on the road.”  


“True, but I’m going to miss sleeping in a bed.”  


Ja'far shrugged. “You’ll get over it.”  


“Couldn’t you be a _little_ sympathetic?” Sinbad complained.  


“No.”  


Ja'far waited until they were on the road out of Dessili before asking, “Do you think that stone is what Falan’s after?”  


“Yeah, no doubt about it,” Sinbad said. He sighed. “Everything else was easy to identify, and the stone is potentially evil. Couldn’t be anything else. Unless there’s a critical shortage of disguise hats where she’s from.”  


“Hmm. What should we do with it?”  


“Chuck it into a volcano, most likely,” Sinbad replied thoughtfully. “That’ll destroy pretty much anything. Maybe we could find another wizard who can figure out what, exactly, it is? Though I feel like we should be careful who we show it to.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Do they have wizards in Imuchakk?”  


“I guess we’ll find out.”


	5. Chapter five

They traveled north along the coastal road for several days. Though it worried Ja'far that there had been no retaliation from Falan yet, he found himself relaxing a little. Working with Sinbad wasn’t as stressful as he’d thought; even if Sinbad acted too good-natured, almost spacey sometimes, he knew what he was doing out on the road. Sin was patient with him, too, not seeming ruffled by Ja'far’s short temper or strange habits. It was…weird, but not unpleasant.  


One day, as they were walking, Sinbad stopped, looking around. “Do you feel something?”  


Ja'far had learned to trust Sinbad’s instincts. He studied the area, scowling. “No. Where-”  


There was a sudden flash, and before he could think, Ja'far had moved between the light and Sinbad. He gritted his teeth as two spells slammed into him, knocking him back.  


“Ja'far!”  


He steadied himself, ignoring the pain. “I’m fine.”  


“She was right, he _has_ betrayed us,” someone said.  


Looking up, Ja'far finally saw them- or had they been invisible before? There were two cloaked figures sitting on a floating carpet. Each carried a staff, both of which were pointed at Sinbad. Sinbad moved up next to Ja'far, drawing his sword. “Who was right?”  


“That is no concern of yours.”  


“If she’s after us, it’s _definitely_ my concern.”  


“There’s no wizards with the Guild, so it must be Falan,” Ja'far said. His knives were in his hands in an instant. “Do you want one of them alive?”  


“Yes.”  


“Understood.” Ja'far threw one knife, twisting his arm so the wire wrapped around a wizard’s neck. He yanked, pulling the unfortunate spellcaster to the ground. “Secure him. I’ll take out the other one.”  


Not waiting for a response, Ja'far released the first wizard and jumped, using wires wrapped around branches to propel himself higher. Spells whizzed by his head, but he ignored them; this wizard was too slow to be a real threat. Landing on a tree branch above the carpet, he called his blades back into his hands and dove, driving both blades into the wizard’s throat. The wizard made a gurgling sound as he fell off the carpet. Ja'far sighed, cleaning his blades before letting the wires coil back into place. _I didn’t even need to use those upgrades…was Falan just testing the waters? It’s surprising that she’d underestimate us._  


“Ja'far, can you bring that carpet down?” Sinbad called.  


Ja'far commanded it to land, relieved that the commands for it weren’t tied to the wizards he’d just killed. As he landed, he noticed that the other wizard was dead, too. “Did you kill him?” he asked, confused.  


“No, he managed a spell while I was binding his hands,” Sinbad said, looking frustrated. “There wasn’t anything I could do, unfortunately. Are you alright?”  


“I already said I was fine. Should we keep this carpet?” Ja'far nudged it with his foot. “It might be faster than walking.”  


“Good idea.” Sinbad came over to him, frowning. “Ja'far, about earlier-”  


Ja'far ignored him, grabbing one of the dead wizards and dragging him off the road. “Let’s cover these. The scavengers will deal with them soon enough, but we shouldn’t be showing off their corpses. Falan won’t take warnings, so there’s nothing to gain.”  


“Are you _ignoring_ me?”  


“Yes.” Ja'far covered the first body with a couple pine branches- enough to keep it from being visible from the road. Sinbad grabbed the other one, dragging it over to where Ja'far had put the first one. Ja'far covered that one with branches as well, and returned to the road.  


Sinbad was frowning at him, arms folded across his chest. “Why are you insisting on writing that off as nothing, anyway?”  


“It didn’t hurt that much,” Ja'far said, shrugging. “I’m trained to endure worse. Let’s get moving.”  


“Ja'far-”  


“I’m not _weak,_ alright?” Ja'far snapped. “I’m _fine,_ Sin, it doesn’t hurt!” It _did_ hurt, but like hell was he going to admit that.  


Sinbad grabbed his shoulder, turning Ja'far to face him. “You were protecting me,” he said, eyes narrowing. “You protected me, and you got hurt doing it. That doesn’t make you weak, that makes _me_ a bad partner. You _can’t_ sacrifice your own safety to protect me. And most importantly, you _have_ to let me watch your back, too. We’re a team, you aren’t with the Guild anymore.”  


Ja'far pulled away, wincing as his injuries protested. He turned his back on Sinbad. “I don’t know why I protected you! I just… I just _did,_ alright?” he growled. “In the Guild, we _never_ look out for each other. So I have no fucking idea why I did that!”  


There was a sigh from behind him, and something poked him- it took Ja'far a second to realize it was the healing wand. A trickle of healing magic washed over his wounds, and he relaxed slightly despite himself. “Sorry, Ja'far. I just don’t want you getting hurt, especially not because of me being careless.”  


“…Let’s keep going,” Ja'far said, not sure what to say to that.  


Sinbad squeezed his shoulder gently as he walked past. “Yeah. A break from walking will be nice.” He got on the carpet, sitting down.  


Ja'far wondered why his shoulder still felt warm where Sinbad had touched it. But he pushed the thought away and got on the carpet as well, sitting next to Sinbad. As Sinbad guided the carpet into the air, Ja'far said, “It might be better if we stayed off the road for now.”  


“Normally, I’d agree, but that forest over there is the Forest of Valefor,” Sinbad replied. “And flying over the ocean would get too cold, not to mention we’d be even more exposed.”  


“Who’s Valefor?” Ja'far asked, tilting his head.  


“One of the Old Gods. They don’t live in the Divine Realms, like Pelor and the others- the Old Gods came into being alongside this world, and they’ll be the last ones to perish should it end,” Sinbad explained. “There’s one who rules the lands near where I grew up- Baal, Lord of Wrath and Heroes.”  


Ja'far frowned. “If you lived near one, why is going through the forest a bad plan?”  


“Not all gods are welcoming of humans. Or…mostly-humans.” Sinbad shrugged. “Better to avoid testing Valefor’s patience, don’t you think?”  


“If you say so.” _I doubt a god would welcome my presence, so he does have a point…_  


Sinbad smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it- we won’t have to go through there, anyway. For now, we can just enjoy the view from up here. While keeping an eye out for trouble, of course.”  


“You’d _better_ be keeping an eye out,” Ja'far said.  


“Well, I’m _probably_ not going to spend the entire trip checking you out,” Sinbad replied cheerfully. “No promises, though.”  


“If you did, I’d spend the trip being fucking invisible. And questioning your sanity more than usual.” He thought he was going to scowl at Sinbad, but his face was…doing something else, instead.  


Eyes widening, Sinbad said, “Whoa…you smiled!”  


“No I didn’t,” Ja'far argued, twisting the invisibility ring and vanishing immediately.  


“You _did!_ Aww, don’t hide, you looked good!”  


Well, now he _definitely_ wasn’t returning to visibility. Not with his face all hot like that. He didn’t quite flinch when Sinbad put one of his hands on top of Ja'far’s- obviously, it hadn’t been on purpose, since Sinbad couldn’t see him…right?  


And since it hadn’t been on purpose, there was no reason to complain about it.  


That made no fucking sense, but then again, what about Sin made sense?  


*****  


The flying carpet shortened their trip drastically- Sinbad quickly realized that the carpet didn’t need to take breaks the way they did, so they could fly the entire night if they wanted to. And that worked well early on- though as they got further and further north, it got much, much colder, necessitating stops to avoid freezing to death.  


One night, they located a cave- luckily unoccupied by any wildlife- and stopped there for the night. Ja'far scouted the area, as usual, while Sinbad set up camp. There were no signs of anything but small animals- not unusual for the area, Ja'far had found. Apparently, larger predators and prey avoided even the outskirts of Valefor’s forest. Upon his return, Ja'far immediately found a dry spot next to the fire Sinbad had built. (Now that it was so cold, Ja'far stopped protesting them.)  


“Nothing out there?” Sinbad asked, mixing the pot that had their dinner.  


“No.” Ja'far scooted closer to Sin- it had gotten too cold to be picky about personal space. “It’s quiet again tonight.”  


Sin didn’t seem adverse to it, either; he wrapped his cloak around both of them, tugging Ja'far’s elbow so he’d shift a little closer. “Those clouds have me worried.”  


“Think it’s going to snow more?” Ja'far asked.  


“Yeah. If it’s too bad, we’ll have to wait it out so we don’t get lost,” Sinbad said, sighing.  


“There _must_ have been a better place to study monster-slaying,” Ja'far groaned.  


Sighing again, Sinbad replied, “Seriously…if nothing else, I could’ve picked a better season to travel up here. Late fall was probably not the best choice. Not that I _had_ a choice.”  


Ja'far frowned. “…I’ve heard the official story, but not yours. What started this, anyway?”  


“It’s a long story, but I guess we have time,” Sin said. He hesitated, studying Ja'far. “If you really want to know?”  


“I do.”  


“Okay…well, I grew up in a small village along the coast. My dad was a fisherman. When I was little, he was drafted to fight in the military- not exactly unusual, but he…he’d already _been_ a soldier, and lost a leg.” Sinbad scowled at the fire, not really seeing it. Ja'far took the spoon from him; no sense letting their dinner burn while Sinbad was occupied with his story. “He died. They sent home his sword- too many soldiers were dying to send home all the bodies. I couldn’t forgive them for sending someone like him…or for fighting a pointless war in the first place.  


“My mother got sick not long after. I supported her as best I could, and…well, it went alright for a while. But then they tried to draft _me.”_ There was a ghost of a smile. “…I told them where to stick their draft notice. Obviously, that made me an outlaw. I had to leave the village, or else risk getting my mom hurt. Luckily, the neighbors promised to take care of her for me.  


“So I followed the army.”  


Ja'far raised an eyebrow at him. “Why?”  


“They weren’t expecting it,” Sinbad said, shrugging. “Which is just as well for me, since I kept stealing from their officers.”  


“That’s all well and good, but how does the dragon come into it?” Ja'far asked.  


“I’m getting there!” Sinbad smiled. “…She’s an old monster, you know. Older than some nations. And the army tried to negotiate with her, for her aid to fight their enemies. While she was distracted, I entered her lair. I stole a bunch of her treasure while they negotiated with her. Part of me thought that I could keep them from reaching an agreement that way. Part of me just wanted to see what was inside.”  


“She caught you, though?”  


“Not immediately. She used magic to find out who I was,” Sinbad explained. “By then, I was almost home.”  


Ja'far frowned. “How did you find out she was after you?”  


“I mentioned the god Baal before, right?” Sinbad said. “He visited me in a dream and told me.”  


“A _god_ told you?” Ja'far asked, raising an eyebrow.  


Sinbad nodded. “It’s hard to believe, I know. But Baal has always protected that part of the world, so it makes sense that he would acknowledge the power of a dragon.”  


“It would make less sense if you weren’t what you are. So you didn’t go home?”  


“No. I went north, and I made sure the military heard about it. I bragged about robbing an ancient dragon. I bragged about interfering with the military. Anything I could think of to keep their attention away from my home town.” He smiled. “If they came after me, I could fight them. I just didn’t want them to hurt my village.”  


Ja'far blinked. “So…your mother. She’s still alive?”  


“She has to be,” Sinbad said. “She’s been sick a long time, but she doesn’t give up. And she’s always been willing to do what she has to in order to survive- or protect her family.”  


_Protect her family, huh…_ Ja'far frowned at the soup. “…I think this is done.”  


“Ah, great! I’m starving!” Sinbad said, passing Ja'far a bowl.  


Sinbad started to eat right away, but Ja'far frowned into his soup, lost in thought.  


_The floor was awash in blood. Ja'far was kneeling in a puddle of it, holding a gash along his side and whimpering quietly. His father was a mess of blood, face still twisted into an incredulous snarl. Ja'far couldn’t even look at his body. His mother…she was mortally wounded, but still breathing._  


_“…They sent you after us…so soon,” she said, breathing labored. “…You…you’re even younger… than I was. Sorry, kiddo.”_  


_Ja'far blinked back tears. “Why?”_  


_“’S gonna…get harder.” She coughed, blood trickling from her mouth. “And you’re…really small. But you won, so you live. I…wanted to…live, but I screwed it up…you were too fast.”_  


_“Mom…”_  


_“Dammit…I really didn’t want to die. I really…fucked it up…”_  


“Ja'far?”  


Ja'far blinked, realizing Sinbad was waving a hand in front of his face. “What?”  


“Are you going to eat, or what?” Sinbad leaned down, looking at him more closely. “Are you alright?”  


“I’m fine.” He stirred the soup, looking down at it and wondering why he wasn’t hungry anymore.  


Sinbad slid his arms around him, pulling Ja'far close enough that their sides touched. That both helped and didn’t- it made Ja'far _want_ to relax, for some stupid reason, but he also felt a little trapped and confused with Sin’s arms around him. Noticing that, Sin let go of him, though he remained close. “You looked sad.”  


“Did I?” Ja'far scowled. Since Sinbad had backed off, he relaxed, but he was still unhappy for some reason.  


“Yeah. You still do.”  


“…It’s nothing.”  


“How’d you end up in the Guild, anyway?” To his credit, it sounded like Sin was trying to change the subject.  


Ja'far glared at him. “I’ll throw my soup at you.”  


“You hate wasting food. Come on, I told you about how I got here. In all the memories of yours that I saw, you were part of the Guild, so you must have-”  


“I was _born_ into it. Like my parents. Shut up.”  


“…Sorry.”  


The silence was awkward. Ja'far scowled at his dinner, then shoved the bowl at Sinbad. “I don’t want it. You eat it.”  


“Ja'far…”  


“I don’t care.” Ja'far growled; his hands were shaking, and that was _stupid._ “I survived all the shit they threw at me, so it doesn’t matter. I’m here now.”  


Sinbad took the bowl from him and put it down to the side. He took Ja'far’s hands in his own- gentle, giving Ja'far the chance to pull away. But somehow, Ja'far didn’t _want_ to pull away. Sin’s thumbs rubbed soft circles on Ja'far’s calloused palms, so gentle that Ja'far could only stare down at them. “I shouldn’t have been so pushy about asking. I’m sorry. But you’re right- you’re here now. And I have your back.”  


“…Why are you doing that?” Ja'far asked slowly. It felt…nice. Huh.  


“Is it alright?” Sinbad asked, studying his expression carefully.  


Ja'far nodded. “It’s…different.” His hands weren’t shaking anymore. That was good. The weird tightness in his chest was easing, too. After a minute, he pulled away, hiding his hands in his sleeves. They felt all warm and tingly. Weird. All of this was weird. It scared him a little, the way he didn’t want to push Sinbad away from him.  


Smiling, Sinbad ran a hand through Ja'far’s hair (and _that_ made Ja'far want to lean into him- a desire he hastily shoved away). “Anyway, you should eat. We both need energy in case anything happens.”  


With an irritable sigh, Ja'far took his bowl back. “Alright, alright.” He paused. “…Sin?”  


“Hm?”  


“…Never mind.” _Thank you._


	6. Chapter six

Electricity crackled along the red wires, and the wizard he’d trapped shrieked and went limp. Ja'far called the blades back, letting them hover alongside him as he turned to look for another opponent. Behind him, Sin cut down an assassin, his sword sparking with lightning and holy energy. “Was that the last one?” Ja'far asked.  


“Yeah,” Sinbad replied, sighing. “We’re in the clear for now. Time to hide the bodies, I guess.”  


“Mmhm. There were more this time, weren’t there?” Ja'far commented, picking up one of the dead wizards and dragging him off the road. “Falan’s been getting serious, it seems.”  


Sinbad followed with a pair of the assassins. “Looks like it. I think she’s been trying to get us before we get to Imuchakk- it’ll be harder to ambush us there, since the country’s got so many warriors.”  


“Makes sense.” Ja'far stretched. “Want to drag the others over? I’ll grab branches to cover them.”  


“Sure.”  


They worked quickly and quietly- it had been the fourth attack since they’d left Dessili, and the pair had gotten used to working together to defend themselves and clean up afterwards. Once all of the dead wizards and assassins had been hidden, they set out on the carpet again. Sinbad frowned at the sky. “The days are getting shorter…is this normal?”  


“It happens in winter, apparently. And the days get longer in summer,” Ja'far replied. “Up north, anyway. Merchant mentioned it in that village we stopped in a week ago.”  


“Why don’t I remember that?” Sin asked.  


“You were drinking. And flirting with that girl.” Ja'far scowled at him.  


“Oh.” Sinbad grinned at him. “So it was _before_ you dragged me away by the ear, got it.”  


Ja'far shrugged. “You _said_ I shouldn’t drag you by the hair.”  


“Come on, there’s nicer ways!”  


“Nicer ways?” Ja'far tilted his head. “Like what?”  


“Hey! Midgets on the rug!” a young, female voice called out. “Y'all going to have a lover’s quarrel up there?”  


Ja'far looked down. Not very far down, though- the young woman looking at them was easily seven feet tall. Next to her was a muscular man who was even taller. He was carrying something that looked like a harpoon- or maybe it was just a piece of coral?- whatever it was, he was carrying it like a weapon.  


“Whoa!” Sinbad grinned, bringing the carpet lower. “I didn’t see you two down there. You’re warriors of Imuchakk, aren’t you?”  


“I am. My sister’s still in training,” the man replied. “What are a pair of humans doing this far north? Especially at this time of year?”  


“We were hoping to learn from your people,” Sinbad explained. “You hunt white dragons up here- and other monsters, I’ve heard.”  


The girl burst out laughing. “You’re so tiny, though!”  


“Compared to a full-grown dragon, you aren’t that big, either,” Ja'far pointed out, bristling. _Don’t make fun of him, you piece of shit._  


The man nodded. “He’s got a point, you know.” He frowned thoughtfully. “Well, it’s not up to me to decide what to do with you- I’ll have to take you to our acting Chief.”  


“You just want an excuse to go see her,” the girl said, nudging him.  


“Pipirika!” Was he blushing…?  


Sinbad raised his eyebrows. “Your acting Chief is a woman?”  


“That’s right.”  


“Not just any woman! She’s my bro’s fiancee!” Pipirika explained cheerfully.  


“Really? Congratulations, then,” Sinbad said, grinning.  


Grinning, the man replied, “Thank you. My name’s Hinahoho, by the way. Who’re you two?”  


“I’m Sinbad, and this is Ja'far,” Sinbad replied. “We’re travelers. It’s nice to meet you two.” He landed the carpet, stowing it in his pack once Ja'far had stepped off of it. Looking up, he grinned. “…And now you two look even taller.”  


“Aww, you’re only about a foot shorter than me,” Pipirika said, laughing. “You two look like kids, it’s kinda funny…”  


“Be nice, Pipirika,” Hinahoho said. “They may be small, but they both look like they’re older than you.” He ruffled her hair and added, “And _act_ that way.”  


“Rude.” She pouted, making Sinbad and Hinahoho laugh.  


“Come on, you two. I’ll introduce you to Rurumu- the acting Chief- so we can figure out what to do with you,” Hinahoho said. “Since it’s coming up on winter, we could use extra hands.”  


Ja'far tilted his head. “What does that have to do with it?”  


“Winter’s when the dragons attack in force,” Hinahoho explained.  


_Fucking fantastic._ Ja'far looked over at Sin. _Well, hopefully we’ll be fine…_  


*****  


The main city of Imuchakk was a strange place- of course all the buildings were enormous, to accommodate the giants who inhabited them. Windows were small, and placed high. Sinbad was looking around with fascination, while Ja'far was a bit more calculating. _Everything’s sturdy- not just to withstand heavy snow and ice, either. Those guard towers and the walls make it look like a fortress as much as a place for people to live. Falan’s going to have a hard time ambushing us here._  


Sin nudged him. “What do you think?”  


“It’s different, but I like it,” Ja'far said, shrugging.  


“Really? Merchants tend not to like it,” Hinahoho commented.  


Ja'far looked up at him. “I’m not a damn merchant.”  


“No. Are you some kinda sorcerer? You don’t look armed.”  


“Yeah, I’ll turn you into a frog,” Ja'far said sarcastically.  


Sinbad snorted. “He’s joking. He’s a fighter, same as me.”  


Hinahoho stared. “But he’s way smaller than you. And scrawny.”  


“I bet I can still kick your ass,” Ja'ar retorted.  


Sin put a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, Ja'far. He’s just surprised because he hasn’t seen you in action like I have.”  


“We haven’t seen _him_ in action, either,” Ja'far pointed out, scowling. But he relaxed a bit and let it go.  


One of the biggest buildings, towards the center of town, was their destination. Though it didn’t have much decoration outside (like most of the other buildings), it had guards stationed outside. Hinahoho nodded to the guards, who let them in without question. Though the curious stares Ja'far could have done without.  


It was much warmer inside. Sin and Ja'far both took their hoods off so they could look around a little better. The inside of the building was much more decorated than the outside; mostly in the form of heavy hangings on the walls. Extra insulation as well as decoration, Ja'far guessed. Much of the light and warmth came from a fire pit in the center of the room.  


At the far end of the main room was a dais with a throne-like chair. No one was sitting on the throne at the moment, though there was a woman seated on the dais itself. She was reading a scroll, and had a quill stuck in her hair. She was muscular, and probably taller than Hinahoho. She had an air of authority about her. When they entered, she looked up and smiled. “Hinahoho, dear, who are these people? Humans at this time of year are unusual.”  


Hinahoho led them closer and bowed, though he was smiling like an idiot at her. “These two are warriors, who hope to learn our methods of dragon-slaying,” he explained. 

“This is Sinbad, and this is Ja'far.”  


“Warriors?” She looked them over, calculating. “How interesting! My name is Rurumu; I am acting Chief for the time being. Where are you from? Why are you so interested in learning how we slay dragons?”  


Sinbad bowed. “I’m from the southern part of the central continent,” he said. “My goal is to be able to fight the monsters that hunt humans and others like them; I want to make this world a little safer for my people.”  


“You have certainly come a long way,” Rurumu commented. “And you, Ja'far?”  


Ja'far shrugged. “I’m following him.”  


“Do you wish to learn from us, as well?” she asked.  


“Yeah. If he’s going to fight dragons, I’ll be right beside him.”  


Rurumu smiled. “I see.” She looked back and forth between the two of them, thoughtful. “Well, if you two came all this way, I see no reason to turn you away. You may be smaller than our warriors, but if you can fight, there’s no need to worry. The real question is, can you handle the cold for extended periods?”  


“Of course!” Sin said. “We’ve been fine on our way up here.”  


Ja'far nodded. “It’ll get colder once winter sets in, but we’ll be fine.”  


“For your sake, I hope so,” Rurumu said. She smiled. “Well, to start with, I’ll have Hinahoho instruct you- you don’t mind, do you?”  


“Not at all!” Hinahoho replied, smiling back at her.  


“Thank you, dear. Pipirika, would you do me a favor?”  


“Yes, ma'am!”  


“Inform the staff we’ll have guests for the forseeable future. They’ll need rooms. Or would you prefer one?” Rurumu asked.  


For some reason, Sin turned red, golden eyes widening. Ja'far said, “One is fine. I can keep an eye on this idiot better that way.”  


Pipirika made a weird sputtering noise, and Hinahoho turned his head away quickly. Rurumu’s smiled widened slightly. “Just one, then.”  


Ja'far wasn’t quite sure why everyone was reacting that way, but suspected he’d be happier not knowing. _At least I’ll be able to guard him at night this way. Protected as this place feels, it’s better to be close to him just in case._  


“Hinahoho, would you like to show them around?” Rurumu asked. “I’m sure they’re a little tired from traveling, so it wouldn’t make sense to start training today.”  


“Of course.” He went over to Rurumu, and they shared a quick kiss. “We’ll be back in a little while.”  


Sinbad and Ja'far followed him back outside. For some reason, Sin still looked a little flustered. Ja'far poked him. “What’s with you?”  


“Um…nothing. Nothing is with me.” Sinbad laughed suddenly. “What, you don’t trust me to sleep on my own?”  


Ja'far tilted his head, confused. “What? No, I just want to be nearby in case someone manages to sneak in to attack you.”  


“Is this going to be like Dessili? And that village we stopped in? Are you going to avoid sleeping to guard me?”  


“It’s more secure here, so I’ll be able to sleep, I think.” Ja'far frowned. “…Did I do something wrong? You don’t seem happy…”  


“Huh? No, I’m not upset or anything,” Sin assured him. He sighed, quietly murmuring, “…This is gonna drive me insane.”  


“What?”  


“Nothing!” Sin laughed, smoothing Ja'far’s hair. “You’re just kinda naïve in weird ways, and it’s endearing.”  


Ja'far decided not to ask anymore questions. Sin had clearly lost his mind, that was all there was to it. They caught up to Hinahoho- the giant’s long strides were something they would have to get used to, apparently. He grinned down at them. “Sorry, I forgot to adjust for you two- I’m not used to warriors with shorter legs.”  


“It’s alright,” Sin replied, grinning back. “We can think of it as extra training!”  


Hinahoho laughed. “Well, that’s one way of looking at it, I guess. Anyway, the training grounds are over here.”  


There was an open stretch of ground that was fenced off. Various Imuchakk were there, drilling with spears or practicing climbing. Sinbad observed with interest. “Are you all spear fighters?”  


“We generally use harpoons, yeah,” Hinahoho replied. He hefted his own weapon, holding it out so they could look more closely. “These are the mark of a warrior- there’s a sea monster that these come from, and we slay one as a coming-of-age trial. The horns are durable as steel, so we use ‘em for weapons.”  


“I thought it was coral at first,” Ja'far commented, looking a little closer. “The color’s weird for a horn.”  


“Yeah, the rampaging unicorns are strange beasts alright,” Hinahoho agreed. “Some folks use dragon claws or teeth for spears or swords, but they’re less common. We do use dragon hide for armor, though.”  


Sinbad looked intrigued. “You use a lot of stuff from what you hunt, then.”  


“Everything we can,” Hinahoho agreed. “We can’t eat dragon meat- it makes us sick- but we use pretty much everything else.”  


“Interesting.” Sinbad shaded his eyes, watching the trainees. “Do you always train here?”  


“Not always. Trainees also patrol the walls with the warriors, and they train out in the woods- being fast in the trees is important for dragon hunting.”  


Sin grinned at Ja'far. “Well, you’ve got that down already.”  


“Damn right I do.”  


Hinahoho nodded. “You’ll have an advantage, then. Agility and speed are important when fighting a huge opponent.”  


He took them around a lot of the rest of the town, pointing out areas of interest. Finally, though, he brought them back to the central building. Rurumu was still working, it seemed, but she greeted them warmly. “Your room is ready, if you two would like to rest a little before dinner,” she told them.  


“Thank you,” Sinbad said, smiling. “We appreciate that.”  


“Of course!” Rurumu smiled back at him.  


A maid (who looked as though she doubled as a warrior) led them down a hallway, then down some stairs. “The rooms down here are best for sleeping,” she explained. “It’s more insulated below ground. Oh, there’s the door to the baths- if you want a bath before dinner, you’ll have the baths to yourselves; no one’s usually there at this hour. And here’s your room.” She opened a door for them. “Do you need anything else?”  


“Thanks, but we’ll be fine from here,” Sin replied.  


“Alright. Yell if you need anything.” She left without fanfare.  


The room was, as Ja'far had expected, large for a pair of humans. There was a fireplace, hangings on the walls (which certainly distracted from the lack of windows), and a chest of drawers to store belongings in. The bed was the oddity- it seemed like a nest of cushions and blankets. It was also huge, so sharing it wouldn’t be an issue. Ja'far checked the door- made of heavy wood, and it could be latched (firmly) from the inside. He smiled slightly. “…Not bad.”  


“You want to live in a cave, don’t you?” Sin asked, amused. “Come on, let’s get baths. We don’t want to go to dinner smelling like travel.”  


“Right, right.”  


The baths turned out to be communal, though separated by gender. Ja'far didn’t particularly hesitate to strip down and get in- he wanted to be clean, and there was no reason to avoid getting undressed in front of Sin. Even if the weirdo made jokes about his attractiveness, that’s all they were- jokes. The water was wonderfully warm; he had a bad feeling that getting out would be difficult. After a moment, he wondered why Sin hadn’t gotten in yet, so he turned to look.  


Apparently, he’d just been a little slower about getting his clothes off. His back was to Ja'far, and he was just shaking out his hair from its usual low ponytail. Ja'far found himself staring, fascinated by the lines of Sin’s body, the broadness of his shoulders, the way his long hair partially veiled him. Ja'far’s pulse quickened and a pleasant heat curled somewhere below his stomach, in a way he’d never really felt before.  


He turned away, wondering what was wrong with him. Nearby, he heard Sin slip into the water. “This is nice,” Sin commented, sighing. “It’s going to be tough getting out, though.”  


“Mmhm,” Ja'far agreed, not quite trusting his voice for some reason. He glanced over at Sin, not sure why being able to see his bare chest and arms made his stomach all fluttery and weird. “…It’s… nice being warm finally.”  


“Yeah…” Sin looked over at him, smiling wryly. “You’re still wearing those? Aren’t they going to get rusty?”  


Ja'far blinked. “My weapons? No, they’ll be fine as long as I make sure to dry them properly. You _know_ I never take them off.”  


“Somehow, I thought you would to bathe.” Sin moved closer, touching Ja'far’s arm. “It’s no wonder you’ve got callouses from them…”  


Suddenly, Ja'far was frozen- torn between equal urges to back away and get more space, or to get closer, and…what? He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Sin’s hand on his arm. Sin’s fingers trailed up his arm, tracing the wires, brushing over scars and freckles as if memorizing them.  


Was it his imagination, or was Sin moving closer to him…?  


There was a sound from the next room- people cleaning, it seemed like- and suddenly Sin pulled away, and Ja'far could breathe again. He stared at Sin in confusion- Sin’s face was flushed, and he was suddenly concentrating very hard on washing himself.  


Right! They were there to wash up! Ja'far shook himself out of his stupor and got back to that. _What’s wrong with me…? Am I crazy?_  


By virtue of having significantly less hair to wash than Sinbad, Ja'far finished bathing much more quickly. He got out reluctantly- at least it was warm in the room, so he didn’t freeze being out of the water. Still, it was best to dry off and dress as quickly as possible. Once dressed, he half-turned, trying to keep his eyes off Sin as much as possible. “Are you going to finish any time soon?”  


“Go ahead back to the room. I’ll meet you there,” Sin promised.  


“Alright.” Ja'far headed back, and decided to spend the extra time unpacking a little and getting comfortable. And trying not to think about Sin.  


This became substantially more difficult when Sinbad came back to the room, only half-dressed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, working on drying his hair. “I am not looking forward to brushing this…”  


“You could cut it,” Ja'far pointed out.  


“I like it like this,” Sin protested. “It’s just a hassle to maintain out on the road. Could you grab my brush for me?”  


“Yeah.” Ja'far went and got it. An odd impulse struck him, and he followed it, sitting behind Sin and taking some of his hair gently. He began to brush it, careful not to pull.  


Sin looked over his shoulder, surprised. “You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.”  


Shrugging, Ja'far kept brushing. “You’ll take for- fucking- _ever._ Don’t worry, I won’t yank your hair out.” That wasn’t it at all, but it was a good excuse. And better than saying 'I just wanted to touch your hair for some stupid reason’.  


“Well…thanks, then.”  


There was something soothing about brushing Sin’s hair. Ja'far decided not to question it, focusing instead on being gentle and getting all the tangles out. And it wasn’t as though Sin hated it- he looked so goddamn content, Ja'far thought he was going to start purring like a cat. Maybe that was why he kept brushing for a little while after he’d gotten all the tangles out. Eventually, though, he tied it back in its usual style and put the brush down.  


With a sigh of contentment, Sin flopped back- practically into Ja'far’s lap. “Thanks,” he said, grinning. “You know, you should do that more often. That was really nice.”  


“Maybe. If you find a way to make it worth my while,” Ja'far replied, a slight smile quirking his lips.  


Something about the look Sin directed at him made Ja'far’s face heat up and that odd, fluttering feeling in his stomach come back full force. “I’m sure I can think of _something_ you’ll like,” he replied. He sat up, to Ja'far’s combined relief and disappointment, and rummaged around for a shirt to put on.  


_What the hell is wrong with me?_ Ja'far wondered, looking down at his hands. _I just keep wanting to touch him… I don’t get this._  


“Ready to go to dinner?” Sin asked.  


“Um…right.” Ja'far got up, heading for the door.  


Sin stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm. “Hey, Ja'far?”  


“What?” _Why is my heart racing…?_  


“I…” Sin paused, sighed, and shook his head. “…If I ever do anything you don’t like, you’d tell me, right?”  


“Obviously,” Ja'far said, confused. “I do that all the time, remember?”  


Sin laughed. “That’s true. Guess there’s nothing to worry about.”  


“Huh?”  


“Never mind. Let’s go eat, I’m starving.”


	7. Chapter seven

Ja'far followed Sinbad back up to the main room. It was much louder up there than it had been earlier; there were a lot of people gathered for the evening meal. Hinahoho and Rurumu were sitting together on the dais, with Pipirika on the floor nearby. There were only low tables, with no chairs. Just as well, since Ja'far was sure he wouldn’t be able to see shit if the giants were all sitting on chairs like normal people.  


Rurumu waved them over. “Here you are. Help yourselves to whatever you like,” she said, handing them each a plate.  


“Thank you,” Sinbad said. He looked at the various pots and platters of food. “I…have no idea what any of this is, but it smells really good.”  


Pipirika began naming all the dishes, describing them for Sinbad. Sin took a little bit of everything- given the size of the plates, he could actually fit a little bit of everything onto his plate. Ja'far took small amounts of things that looked like food he’d eaten elsewhere. “You eat like a bird, no wonder you’re so tiny,” Pipirika commented.  


“I’m just trying things,” Ja'far replied, annoyed.  


“Make sure you eat a lot,” Hinahoho said, grinning. “You’re going to need your energy tomorrow for training!”  


Ja'far nodded. _I’m not worried about myself, but Sin hasn’t really trained formally before,_ he thought. _Well, he’s strong- he’ll probably be fine._  


“Big bro’s a good teacher,” Pipirika said. “But he’ll put you through the wringer.”  


“Well, that’s probably a good way to learn quickly,” Sin replied. “And we’ll need to, if we’re going to be any help this winter, right?”  


Hinahoho nodded. “Yeah, that’s true.”  


“How much do you know about dragons?” Rurumu asked. “You don’t have white ones where you live, do you?”  


“No,” Sin said. “I’ve seen a green one- luckily not up close, or I wouldn’t be here. But I only know what stories say about ‘em. That’s part of why I’m here.”  


Rurumu nodded. “Learning about them is important. There’s records here that you can read, if you’d like.”  


“Well…I’d take advantage of that offer, but I can’t really read,” Sin replied, grinning ruefully.  


“You can’t?” Rurumu shook her head. “Well, that’s no good. I could teach you during the evenings- if you aren’t too exhausted from Hinahoho’s training, of course.”  


Sin lit up. “That would be wonderful, thank you!”  


“Of course! If you’re training with us, then there’s no reason to take half measures, now is there?” Rurumu replied, smiling. She looked at Ja'far, curious. “What about you?”  


“I can read. Those records sound useful,” Ja'far said.  


“Then you are welcome to read them when you have the time.” Hinahoho was sneaking a bite of something off her plate. She giggled, taking something from his. “Behave yourself,” she said, not sounding the slightest bit annoyed.  


“What?” Hinahoho said innocently. “I didn’t do anything.”  


“Of course you didn’t.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.  


Sin nudged Pipirika. “Are they always like that?” he whispered.  


Pipirika nodded. “Oh gosh, yes. Always kissing, flirting, holding hands…there’s going to be no living with them when they get married,” she replied quietly.  


“It’s kinda sweet, though.”  


“Yeah, they’re really in love.” Pipirika giggled.  


_Is_ that _what being in love is like?_ Ja'far wondered. _Well…I’m not really supposed to feel things like that, so I guess it doesn’t matter. And for people outside the Guild, getting married and having kids isn’t a death sentence, so that’s good for them. I guess._ He finished his food, trying to ignore the rest of the room. Which was difficult.  


Somehow, looking at Rurumu and Hinahoho made him feel …jealous? That made no sense; why the hell would he want to be that close to someone, after all? Intimacy, affection, all of that stuff… they were all weaknesses he’d been trained to avoid. So why the hell would he _want_ something like that in the first place?  


Ja'far looked over at Sinbad, who was talking to the others animatedly. _Then again…if it’s him, would it really be so bad? Oh, what am I thinking? Just because I trust him…_  


“Spacing out, Ja'far?” Sin asked, smiling at him. “If you’re tired, you should go to bed early. We’re going to have a long day tomorrow.”  


“You should, too,” Ja'far replied.  


Sinbad nodded. “Good point, I guess.”  


After a little while longer, they retired to their room and got ready for bed. Ja'far latched the door to the room before he burrowed into the blankets. Sin laughed. “Your feet are sticking out.”  


Ja'far pulled them under the blankets. “No they aren’t.”  


A weight settled on his back- it took Ja'far a moment to realize that Sin was using him as a pillow. “We’ll winter over here. The stone can wait that long, if we keep it hidden away.”  


Poking his face out from the blankets, Ja'far replied, “Where will we go after this?”  


“Southwest, I think. I’ve heard there’s a wizard school out there,” Sin replied.  


“Hmm. Maybe we should look at some goddamn _maps_ once you’ve learned to read,” Ja'far said. “Then we can do better than just a vague fucking direction.”  


Sin sighed. “Yeah, that might be a better idea. At least we have time to think it through.” He wriggled under the blankets, putting a bit of distance between the two of them. “Anyway, let’s get some sleep.”  


“Right.” Ja'far found himself wanting to close that distance, which was nonsense; they didn’t need to stay so close to keep warm. Not indoors like this. So why did he miss being so close to Sin?  


Even though he wanted to sleep, it didn’t happen so quickly. Sin’s breathing evened out as he fell asleep, and Ja'far turned onto his side to look at him. The light from the fireplace lit his dark skin with a warm glow, and the way the light sank into his dark purple hair was oddly fascinating. Ja'far sighed silently. _I never paid much attention to people being attractive before, so why did I have to start now?_  


_Or maybe it’s just because it’s him?_  


_This is so fucking confusing…_  


*****  


Their first day of training was really more of a test of skill than anything else; it made sense, though Ja'far didn’t like showing his full abilities to someone he didn’t know that well. But Hinahoho had sharper eyes than Ja'far had thought, and caught on immediately when Ja'far tried to hold back.  


By the end of the day, Sin was worn out- he wasn’t used to that sort of sustained activity. He grinned tiredly at Ja'far. “You really _could_ keep going for days, couldn’t you?”  


“What, did you think I was lying?” Ja'far asked.  


“No. It’s just one thing to believe you when you say it, and another to see you in action.”  


Hinahoho laughed. “I dunno what kind of endurance training they gave you, kid, but it must’ve been intense!”  


“You could say that.” Ja'far looked over at Hinahoho. _Weird- he doesn’t really seem to have any scars from his, now that I think about it._ “Are we done already?”  


“For today, yeah,” Hinahoho replied. “Tomorrow, we’ll get started on the actual training part. Even before we move on to technique, you need to build strength and Sinbad needs to build speed and endurance.” He grinned. “You’d do fine against opponents that aren’t covered in thick scales, Ja'far, but I don’t know how well those daggers will work against a dragon.”  


Ja'far let out an annoyed huff. “Don’t fucking underestimate me.”  


“My endurance isn’t _that_ bad,” Sinbad complained.  


“Dragon hunts can last a _week,”_ Hinahoho replied cheerfully. “What, you planning to make Ja'far carry you around when you get too tired to move?”  


Sinbad laughed. “You’ve got a point, I guess.” He nudged Ja'far. “I bet you’d do it, though.”  


“No way in hell.”  


“So cruel. And here I thought you cared,” Sinbad teased.  


Ja'far pushed him into a snowbank. “Not that much.”  


“Wow, harsh.” Sin grabbed his arm, yanking Ja'far down on top of him. Ja'far felt his heart skip a beat. “There, now you get to be wet and cold, too.”  


Wriggling out of his grip, Ja'far stuffed snow down Sin’s neck. “Stop that!” _How do you keep making me feel so weird?_  


“I should be the one saying that!” Sin groaned. “I’m too tired to fight you. This isn’t even fair.”  


“Whoever said I was fair?”  


“Alright, you two. If you’re going to stay here and flirt, I’m going back to see Rurumu,” Hinahoho said, clearly amused.  


Ja'far sat up, blinking at him in utter confusion. _This is how flirting works?_  


Taking advantage of his distraction, Sin escaped and stood up, shaking the snow out of his clothes. “It’s way too cold out here to roll around in the snow forever. You coming, Ja'far?”  


Nodding, Ja'far followed them. _What is even happening anymore?_  


They bathed and ate, and after dinner Rurumu took Sinbad to begin teaching him. Ja'far followed, not having anything better to do. The two of them didn’t notice him until they reached a room that was set up like some sort of office. The back wall was lined with shelves of books and scrolls. Rurumu smiled at him when she noticed him. “Oh, I didn’t hear you behind us. You’re welcome to join us- this is where the records I mentioned are kept.”  


“No mocking me if I make a fool of myself, alright?” Sinbad said, grinning.  


“I won’t promise anything,” Ja'far replied. He followed them into the room, going to the bookshelves in the back as Sin and Rurumu settled themselves at the desk.  


As Ja'far pulled a few promising-looking (and enormous) volumes from the shelves, Sinbad asked, “So Rurumu, you said you’re 'acting Chief’. Where’s the regular Chief?”  


“Oh, my father’s inspecting the northern outposts,” she explained. “He always goes right before winter sets in; that way, he understands the situation on the front lines better.”  


“Front lines? You make it sound more like a war than hunting,” Sin commented.  


Rurumu nodded. “In a sense, it _is_ war. Dragons are intelligent- though the white ones less so than the other races. They try to extend their territory south, so they can devour those in their path. We defend not just our own people, but the northern borders of civilization.” She smiled. “I know it will sound like a fairy tale to you, but our traditions say that the wolf god, Valefor, made us for this purpose thousands of years ago.”  


“Isn’t Valefor the god of the forest to your west?” Ja'far asked.  


“Yes, that’s right. You’ve heard of him?”  


Ja'far shook his head. “Sin mentioned him on our way up here, is all. He’s why we stayed out of the forest.”  


Rurumu nodded. “Well, that was probably for the best- he is not always kind to travelers. He is a wolf, after all.”  


“A white wolf of unbelievable size,” Sinbad said quietly. “Always accompanied by falling snow, and the winds of winter howl as loudly as his pack. His fangs are like icicles, and if you meet his eyes, the flow of time itself seems to slow, turning the very blood in your veins to frost.” He grinned. “A bard I met described him that way. Poetic, isn’t it?”  


“It certainly is. Now, no more delaying. I doubt you will want to stay up all night learning.”  


“Well, I wouldn’t mind if I didn’t have to get up early tomorrow,” Sin replied. “But you’re right. Where do we start?”  


*****  


They had been training for a week. Ja'far still wasn’t feeling the strain of it as much as Sin, but at least he was feeling a little improvement. And Sinbad hadn’t died or anything- well, not that the Imuchakk’s training was so difficult as that. Not that one would know, the way Sin complained about it some nights.  


One night, while they were bathing after training, when Sin commented, “You know, Ja'far, you could try making friends with these people. After all, they’re training us and letting us stay with them.”  


Ja'far blinked at him. “…Friends?”  


Sinbad nodded. “Yeah. They’re our allies, so maybe you should consider treating them that way.”  


“What are you talking about?” Ja'far asked blankly.  


Sin sighed, sinking down in the water. “I mean, you’re nice to me- in kind of a grumpy way. But to everyone else, you act like you don’t want to be anywhere near them. And I’m not the only one who’s noticed.”  


“How else am I supposed to act?” Ja'far asked. _Am I causing problems for him? How?_  


“Do you… _actually_ dislike everyone?” Sin asked hesitantly.  


Ja'far shook his head. “Not really, I guess.”  


“I didn’t think so. It’s just that you don’t know how to talk to people, huh?”  


“What?” Ja'far scowled. “I can talk just fine. I’m doing it right now, right?”  


Sin smiled. “I don’t mean like that. Never mind, you’ll get used to it. Just try and relax around them a little, alright? They’re allies, not threats.”  


He changed the subject after that, but Ja'far kept thinking about it. It was true that he’d never really had much reason to speak civilly to anyone before he’d joined Sinbad- assassins were not expected (or raised) to be polite. And changing that wasn’t something he’d even thought about before. But now he was thinking about it.  


_Maybe it would be for the best? What a fucking pain…_  


After dinner, he followed Sin and Rurumu (as had become a habit) to the office, picking up a book on dragon anatomy to read while she taught Sin. This time, though, instead of following Sin back immediately when the lesson finished, he lingered awkwardly. Rurumu smiled at him. “Did you need something, Ja'far?” she asked.  


“I…” Ja'far scowled at the floor. _Fuck._ “…Yes. I do.”  


She closed the door, going back to the desk and starting to tidy up. “What’s wrong? It’s not like you to come to one of us for help.”  


“…Yeah.” Ja'far tucked his hands into his sleeves. “Look, I’m…” _Come on, don’t be a fucking idiot about this._ “…I need to get better at talking to people. I may be an asshole, but it’s better for Sin if I don’t sound like one. You _obviously_ know what you’re doing. Can you help me?”  


There was silence for a minute. “Look at people when you’re asking them for favors. Try saying 'please’. Now ask again.”  


Ja'far looked up. “Can you help me, please?” he asked.  


“That’s better.” Rurumu smiled. “Do you think you can stick with this? It isn’t easy to change your habits.”  


“Yeah, I can do it.” _I don’t want to be a hindrance to him._  


She nodded. “Good. I know you want to do this for him, but it will really benefit you, as well. We ought to set aside a time for lessons- how early do you wake up?”  


“I…usually have some time before Hinahoho comes to wake Sin up,” Ja'far said.  


“Good. We’ll use that.” Rurumu tapped a finger against her lips. “Hmm…we’ll start tomorrow morning, then. Meet me here.”  


“Okay.”  


“First lesson: when someone agrees to do you a favor, say 'thank you’,” Rurumu replied.  


“Thank you.” _I_ sometimes _do that… guess I need to remember it better._  


“Now, go on. You have another long day ahead of you.”  


“R-Right.” Ja'far didn’t exactly flee, but he did hurry off to his and Sin’s room. _What am I getting myself into, anyway?_  


Sin was waiting for him, grinning in a way that said he knew exactly what had just happened. “And what was _that_ all about?” he asked, practically purring.  


“Nothing.” Ja'far latched the door behind him. He pulled off his outer layers and slipped into the nest of blankets. He frowned at Sin. _“What?”_  


“Nothing,” Sin replied. He wriggled his arm free of the blankets and stroked Ja'far’s hair. “It’s nothing.”  


Ja'far scowled, face heating up. He hid his nose below the blankets. “Hmph.”


	8. Chapter eight

Manners and social interaction were, apparently, very complicated. No swearing, remember to smile, say ‘please’ and 'thank you’, greet people properly… The list went on and on. And Ja'far found that he was struggling to unlearn some of his old habits- swearing especially. On top of that, Rurumu was _painfully_ strict- he learned he could expect to get smacked over the head if he swore around her (at least he’d managed to stop swearing in response to being hit).  


But he was making progress, and that was the important thing. Strict as she might be, Rurumu made sure he knew that.  


Honestly, her training was harder on him than anything Hinahoho could throw at him. He got more than enough food, and he was allowed- expected- to rest every night, so how was he supposed to improve? Though on the other hand, he knew he couldn’t have sat by and watched if Sin was given the same sort of endurance training he’d suffered through as a kid, no matter how much it might have helped.  


A month after Ja'far had first approached Rurumu for lessons, the Imuchakk celebrated the beginning of winter- and the return of their Chief, Rametoto. The celebration began in the middle of the afternoon, not long after the Chief returned. Sin and Ja'far had been given the day off from training…on the condition that they help set up, naturally. Though in all honesty, Ja'far was technically engaging in some extra training- acting as a runner for Rurumu, he had to coordinate a few different groups and make sure everything was running smoothly. Without pissing anyone off.  


He returned after one such errand to see Rurumu talking to a massive Imuchakk he hadn’t seen before. Rurumu smiled when she saw him, and beckoned him over. “Ja'far, this is my father, Chief Rametoto. Father, this is one of the humans I was telling you about. He’s been helping me out today.” Her father was huge, even among the other Imuchakk; Ja'far had to wonder if there was a size requirement for leadership.  


Thanks to Rurumu, Ja'far knew what to do. He bowed his head, hands clasped in front of him. “It is an honor to meet you, Chief Rametoto.”  


“Hmm…a pleasure, Ja'far,” the Chief replied, studying him with interest.  


Ja'far pretended not to mind. “Lady Rurumu, all of your instructions are being carried out. Did you need anything else?” he asked, meeting her eyes. _I’m still doing this right, aren’t I?_  


Smiling, Rurumu replied, “Thank you, Ja'far. You have done very well. If you would find Hinahoho for me, and send him back here to meet me, then you will be free to enjoy the celebration. Oh, you should also send Sinbad over- I’d like him to meet my father, as well.”  


Ja'far bowed his head to both of them. “I understand. Excuse me, then.” He hurried off, turning back after a moment to look at Rurumu. She gave him a subtle thumbs up. He grinned and continued on his way. _I guess this isn’t so bad- and I feel a little less out of place._  


It didn’t take long to find Sin and Hinahoho. They were lighting one of the last bonfires. _How the hell does Sin make being a sweaty, disheveled mess look_ good, _anyway?_ Ja'far wondered. But his confused feelings could be shoved aside for the moment. “Rurumu wants to see you two,” he told them. “Chief Rametoto is back.”  


Hinahoho stood up, stretching. “We’d better clean up first. Thanks, Ja'far.”  


“You’re welcome.”  


“Give me a second, I’ve almost got this.” Sin looked over his shoulder, smiling at Ja'far. “Unless you want to do it for me.”  


Ja'far shook his head. “I’ll wait.”  


“Fiiiine. So what’s he like?”  


“Huge. Observant. Didn’t have time to get a good feel for him, though, I bet Rurumu was bringing him up to speed on what happened while he was gone,” Ja'far said. He watched Sin stand up and stretch, the fire lit. Since he’d been helping carry things around and light fires, Sin wasn’t wearing the bulky clothing he usually did. Ja'far couldn’t help the way his eyes caught on Sin, or the wave of longing that washed through him.  


Squashing his feelings down, Ja'far said, “You really ought to get cleaned up. Not going to make the best first impression all sweaty and gross like that.”  


Sin laughed. “I know, I know. Want to come with me, or are you going to go enjoy the festival?”  


“I’ll stay with you for now, I guess.”  


“Alright.”  


While Sin went to wash up, Ja'far waited in their room with one of the books he’d been working on. Taking notes on sea monsters and their behaviors was a good distraction from thinking about Sin for a little while, at least. Until Sin came back with only a towel wrapped around his waist, of course. Ja'far swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep his eyes on his notes. _Why the hell am I like this?_  


He chanced a glance up after a little while- Sin was just finishing putting a shirt on. Ja'far sighed- with relief or something else, even he couldn’t tell. “We’re going to be outside for most of the festival, you know. Shouldn’t you dress warmer?” he asked.  


“Nah, we’ll be near the fires. I doubt it’ll be a problem,” Sin replied. He found his brush and began struggling with his hair.  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. He went over and took the brush from Sin, giving in to that weird need to be as close to him as possible. “You’ll regret it.”  


“Thanks,” Sin said, sighing contentedly and tipping his head back as Ja'far began brushing his hair. “Not that I’m in any way complaining, but you’ve been doing this a lot lately.”  


“Yeah, because you take forever,” Ja'far replied quickly. His face was heating up again, but at least Sin couldn’t see from where he was. “We’ve been over this.”  


Luckily, Sin let it drop. Finally, he was ready to go. They headed back up to find Rurumu and her father. Given how much taller than even the other Imuchakk the chief was, this did not take very long. Hinahoho had already gotten there; he and the chief were talking already. Rurumu noticed Sinbad and Ja'far, and went over to meet them.  


“There you are. I was wondering if you’d gotten lost,” she teased.  


“Nope, we’re here. Just had to clean up a bit first,” Sin replied cheerfully.  


Rurumu nodded. “Of course. Anyway, let me introduce you to my father.”  


“You know, normally when a girl says that, I start running,” Sin commented. Ja'far rolled his eyes and kicked Sin in the ankle. “What was that for?”  


“Being an idiot.”  


Smiling, Rurumu said, “Ja'far has a point.”  


“You two just don’t appreciate my sense of humor.”  


They ignored him. It was the best response, Ja'far was discovering. Rurumu led them over to the Chief. “Father, this is Sinbad, Hinahoho’s other human student.”  


“It’s an honor to meet you, Chief Rametoto,” Sin said, making sure to bow properly.  


“The pleasure’s mine.” Rametoto studied the two of them for a few moments. “So, what brought the two of you up here? Rurumu said you’ve been studying to fight dragons and other monsters.”  


“That is exactly what brought us here,” Sinbad replied. “We wanted to learn your ways, in order to fight more effectively against the monsters that threaten our people.”  


Rametoto leaned forward a little. “There are some humans who would call us monsters, you know.”  


“I’ve heard that, but I obviously don’t agree with them,” Sin said firmly. “You are different from us, but in no way what I would call 'monsters’. To be honest, I have never had a better teacher than Hinahoho.”  


“And you?” Rametoto asked, looking at Ja'far. “Would you consider us monsters?”  


Ja'far inclined his head politely. “I am not inclined to call anyone a monster. But I don’t see how anyone would call the Imuchakk monsters when they are so welcoming and open with strangers.”  


“Hmm.” Rametoto looked pleased with their answers, at least as far as Ja'far could tell.  


The conversation continued as Rametoto led the group outside- it seemed the chief was just as eager as anyone else to get to the food. Sinbad naturally occupied most of his attention- after all, Sin just seemed to naturally draw everyone to him.  


As they sat out there around the fires, Rurumu touched Ja'far’s shoulder lightly. “Would you like to look around for a little while with us?” she asked. “I’m sure father’s going to be talking with Sinbad for a while.”  


Ja'far looked over at Hinahoho. “Won’t I be in the way?”  


“Of course not!” Rurumu smiled. “Besides, Hinahoho promised to take Pipirika to look around, too.”  


“But Sin-”  


“He and father will be talking for hours if we let them,” Rurumu assured him. “So we might as well.”  


That was true and Ja'far knew it. Though he still didn’t want to leave Sin alone… Ja'far glanced over at him, uncertain. But Sin was having fun chattering away; and Ja'far had a feeling that if Falan’s group hadn’t attacked yet, they wouldn’t start tonight, with so many people out and about. So it was probably safe. And, well, it _did_ sound interesting. “…Maybe for a little while.”  


“Thank you.”  


The four of them slipped off to explore. Ja'far had been around when things were being set up, but now that everything was lit up and active, it was different. He could smell all different kinds of food, and there were so many people walking around- it would be easy to get lost if he didn’t stick close to Rurumu and the others.  


“Big bro, can you win me one of those cute scarves? I can never get the ring on the peg thing,” Pipirika said.  


Hinahoho grinned. “You’re going to be a full-fledged warrior soon, though, so shouldn’t you try winning it yourself?”  


“Come ooooon, it’s a festival!” she complained.  


Ja'far thought a moment, then asked, “If I win you a scarf, would you get me one of those buns with the sugar on them?”  


“Totally!” Pipirika said, grinning. “Thanks, I know your aim’s great!”  


“Of course it is.” Ja'far surveyed the targets. “Which peg do I want to get the ring on?”  


“Um…top row, third from the left.”  


“Got it.” He got a ring from the man running the booth (who seemed amused and a little dubious), aimed carefully, and threw. The ring landed neatly on the peg. “And done.”  


Pipirika took the scarf from the man, hugging it happily for a moment before putting it on. “Thanks a bunch, Ja'far! One sugar bun, coming right up!” She skipped off to go buy one of the buns.  


Hinahoho grinned down at him. “That was nice of you.”  


Shrugging, Ja'far replied, “I was hungry.”  


“Right.” He sounded amused.  


Pipirika returned with a sugar bun. “Here you go! Thanks again, it’s so soft and warm and I love it!”  


“You’re welcome,” Ja'far said, half-smiling. He ate some of it- it was about as good as it smelled. _Maybe I’ll save a little for Sin…he’d probably like it, too._ “It was easy, anyway. You probably would’ve been fine.”  


“No way, those things are trickier than they look,” Pipirika replied. “I’m bad at throwing light little things like that.”  


“It’s not that hard. You just have to account for the weight when you throw, that’s all.”  


“I guess.”  


The group of them kept looking around. Ja'far lagged behind a little- somehow, he felt a bit out of place in spite of everything. While Hinahoho and Pipirika were busy at one of the stalls, Rurumu paused, waiting for him to catch up. “Bored already?” she asked, smiling.  


“Not really. There’s a lot to see,” he replied truthfully.  


She nodded. “These festivals are a lot of fun. If you want to go back and get Sinbad, you should let us know.”  


“What? Why would I…” He sighed. “…Maybe I _do_ want to go get him. But he’ll be busy talking to the Chief, so I’ll wait a while longer.” Frowning at the ground, he said, “I don’t see why I always want to be with him, anyway. He’s safe enough here, I don’t need to protect him constantly or anything.”  


“There’s nothing strange about that,” Rurumu assured him. “Sometimes, just spending time with someone is enough to make you happy. Haven’t you noticed? He goes out of his way to spend time with you.”  


Ja'far looked up, surprised. “…Does he?”  


“Of course.” She smiled. “Then again, so do I.”  


“What?”  


“I _did_ ask you to come with us tonight, after all,” Rurumu pointed out. “Spending time with you is nice.”  


“…Thank you,” Ja'far said, looking down at the ground with a small smile. He didn’t know what else to say to something like that, no matter how happy it made him.  


After that, he kept up with the group better. Knowing that Rurumu at least liked spending time with him made him feel less like an outsider. _Maybe I’m not so out of place after all…_  


When they returned, and Ja'far shared the rest of his sugar bun with Sin, Sin of course wanted to know where he’d gotten it. Ja'far took him along to show him around the festival- it wasn’t boring to go to all the places he’d already been, because Sin hadn’t seen them yet. As much as he’d liked visiting the festival with Rurumu and the others, for some reason it was more fun to walk around with Sin.  


Though the idea of going with everyone was…really appealing, actually.  


The sun had been down for several hours, but between the moonlight and the fires lit in celebration, it was still bright enough to see easily. Sin pulled Ja'far away from the main center of the party.  


“You’ve really changed since we came here,” Sin commented.  


Ja'far shrugged. “That was part of your plan, wasn’t it?”  


“Not exactly. But it’s a good change- you seem happier.”  


“I…guess so.” Ja'far paused, looking around. “Where are we going, anyway?”  


Sin smiled. “Nowhere in particular. I just wanted to get away from the noise for a little while.”  


“Fair enough.”  


They walked together in silence, leaving the bonfires and the Imuchakk behind them. Sin shivered. “Ah, damn, it’s cold away from the fires. Didn’t think _that_ one through.”  


Ja'far rolled his eyes, pulling his cloak off and throwing it at Sin. “I know you were warm after helping set up, but you really should have dressed warmer.” _At least_ I _had the sense to dress for an outdoor festival…_  


Pulling the cloak around himself, Sin smiled affectionately at him. “I know, I know. Thank you, Ja'far.”  


“You’re welcome.” Ja'far sighed. That smile did terrible, wonderful things to him- and it certainly warmed him enough that he didn’t mind the lack of cloak.  


Sin took his hand, thumb rubbing over Ja'far’s palm. His golden eyes didn’t leave Ja'far’s face. “You look like you’re glowing, you know.”  


“Huh?” Ja'far stared, wondering what the hell had gotten into Sin.  


“In the moonlight.” Sin smiled gently at him. “You really look beautiful, Ja'far. The moon lights you up, and you look…ethereal. Like a dream.”  


Flustered and nervous, Ja'far tried to tug his hand free. “What the hell…what are you talking about?” he asked, looking away. “Come on, I’m not…I’m not a girl you can use stupid pick-up lines on!”  


“I know,” Sin said, not quite hiding his amusement. “You’re a man. And that wasn’t a pick-up line, you’ve heard me use those. I was complimenting you.”  


“You…you don’t need to make things up,” Ja'far said uncertainly.  


“I don’t _have_ to make compliments up,” Sin replied gently. “You really _are_ beautiful.”  


Ja'far shook his head. “Why are you _saying_ these things all of a sudden?”  


“All of a sudden? Ja'far, I’ve been flirting with you pretty much from the beginning,” Sin said, sighing. “Look, I thought with the way you’ve been acting, maybe you were beginning to feel the same way. If I was wrong, I’m sorry. I ca-”  


“You _can’t_ be serious,” Ja'far said, pulling away and taking a couple steps back. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he was…actually _afraid,_ somehow. “No, no, you _can’t_ feel that way about me, that doesn’t make sense!” He stared at Sin, trying to understand. _How can he feel like that about someone like me?_ “Sin…”  


Sin slowly moved closer, taking Ja'far’s hands. He kept his grip light and gentle. “You’re shaking,” he said, surprised and concerned. “Ja'far, it’s alright. You don’t have to feel the same way, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. I promise.”  


“That’s…” Ja'far shook his head. “I _know_ you won’t. I trust you.” He _was_ shaking, now that Sin mentioned it; he could feel his hands trembling in Sin’s steady grip. He closed his eyes. “I don’t… I’ve never felt like this before. I was never _supposed_ to feel anything but anger; until I met you I was just a _weapon._ I don’t understand what I’m feeling right now!”  


“Are you scared of me?”  


Ja'far shook his head. _“Hell_ no.” He met Sin’s eyes again, desperate for something he couldn’t name. “I’m scaring myself. There’s too many things I want, and I can’t explain them. I don’t know what to do.”  


Sin was silent a moment. Hesitantly, he asked, “Well…what would you do if I kissed you?”  


Eyes widening, Ja'far said, “I…I don’t know.”  


“Do you want to find out?”  


After a moment, Ja'far nodded.  


Movements slow, giving Ja'far ample chance to pull away, Sin leaned in, resting his forehead against Ja'far’s. “It’s okay. You don’t need to be so nervous, it’s just me.” He closed the remaining distance, eyes drifting shut as he pressed his lips warmly to Ja'far’s. The heat of Sin’s mouth was intoxicating, dizzying- and the tenderness with which he was kissing Ja'far was electrifying. Ja'far gradually relaxed, eyes closing slowly. Very tentatively, he kissed back.  


This certainly encouraged Sin, who wrapped his arms around Ja'far, pulling him closer (and wrapping him in the cloak, as well). Ja'far wasn’t quite sure what to do with his own arms, but he wanted to be touching Sin as much as possible. Maybe if he put his arms around Sin’s neck…? He tried it- yes, that felt right.  


One of Sin’s hands raked through his hair, thumb pushing up under his headband to rub a circle around the base of one of Ja'far’s horns. Ja'far pulled away with a surprised gasp.  


“Sorry, was that-”  


“I- no, it’s fine, I just…” Ja'far shook his head. “It startled me a little.” Sin stroked that spot again, curious. Ja'far sighed, eyes half-closing; there was something soothing about the gesture. His skull felt pleasantly tingly. “…It’s kind of nice, actually.”  


Sin chuckled. “Well, that’s good.” He rested his forehead against Ja'far’s. “So, what do you think? Was kissing something you wanted?”  


“Yeah,” Ja'far said. “So…do it again?”  


“How could I say no?” Sin kissed him again, every bit as warm and sweet as before. Then, after a bit, he pulled away- but only for a moment. He kissed Ja'far more forcefully, making Ja'far stumble back a step, back colliding with the wall of a building. Sin pinned him there, kissing him hard, demanding. After a moment, he pulled back slightly, just enough to nip at Ja'far’s lower lip. Ja'far gasped, not sure what Sin was doing but knowing he liked it.  


Then Sin’s mouth was on his again, and Ja'far tightened his arms around Sin, fingers tangling in his hair, trying to hold him there. Their lips moved together, Ja'far’s confidence growing as they went. Sin’s tongue moved gently over his lips; Ja'far opened his mouth hesitantly, and Sin took that as an invitation. His tongue moved against Ja'far’s- not something Ja'far had expected, exactly, but he could taste Sin and suddenly, he couldn’t get enough.  


Finally, the need for air was overwhelming. Sin pulled away, just as breathless as Ja'far. “God, you’re _beautiful,”_ he said, smiling. His golden eyes were full of affection, and Ja'far could only stare in awe.  


“You are, too,” Ja'far replied, feeling a smile tug at his own lips. Speaking of lips, he couldn’t help noticing they felt a little swollen- but pleasantly so? Strange. “So…what do we do now?”  


“That’s up to you,” Sin said. He kissed Ja'far’s forehead. “Do you want to give being together a shot, or do you just want to kiss me?”  


“Being…together?”  


“Like Hinahoho and Rurumu.”  


“Oh.” Ja'far looked down. “…I… Is that really…alright?”  


“What do you mean?” Sin asked gently.  


Ja'far shrugged. “I mean…isn’t that a weakness? Can we really afford to do that, while Falan’s still after us?” he asked.  


Sin hugged him tighter. “It’s not a weakness. I don’t know what your Guild taught you, but something like this is _not_ a weakness. We balance each other, and that makes us stronger together than we ever would be apart,” he said. “But you don’t have to push yourself- I can wait for you to think things through, if you’d like. No matter how long you need.”  


“Sin…” Ja'far pulled away enough to meet his eyes again. That golden gaze was so gentle, kindling a warmth deep inside of him that Ja'far was just starting to understand. “Could we…try this? Being together, I mean? I can’t promise that I won’t screw it up, but…”  


Sin’s eyes widened. “Do you mean it? I don’t want to rush you into it or anything.”  


“Of course I mean it,” Ja'far said, looking away and blushing.  


Sin kissed him again, holding him tightly, as if Ja'far was the most precious, important thing in the world. By the time he pulled away, Ja'far was breathless and more than a little dazed. “Then that settles it,” he said, grinning. “Alright. How about we just take things slow to start with? We have plenty of time, after all.”  


Ja'far nodded. “That sounds good,” he said, smiling.


	9. Chapter nine

The walls were freezing even during the day, but patrolling them at night had given Ja'far a renewed respect for the cold. And the Imuchakk, who handled the frigid night air with relative ease. Ja'far was bundled up- as much as he could be without restricting mobility, anyway- and still chilled to the core. He paced along the wall, squinting against the winds and snow as he looked out at the forest. Nothing moved- any animal in its right mind was hibernating.  


Sin was also hibernating, lucky for him. He and Ja'far usually didn’t have wall patrol on the same nights.  


“You an icicle yet?” Hinahoho asked.  


Ja'far shook his head. “Somehow, no.”  


Hinahoho gave him a quick pat on the head. It was less condescending, Ja'far understood, and more that his head was easier for the Imuchakk to reach than, say, his shoulder. “You complain way less than Sinbad does. It’s kind of refreshing.”  


“That is _not_ a high bar to clear,” Ja'far said dryly.  


Snorting, Hinahoho replied, “You’ve got a point. He does well for someone who complains so much, though.”  


“Mmm. He can do anything he puts his mind to, so it’s just him wanting to slack off,” Ja'far replied. “I’m glad you don’t let him.”  


“You really care about him a lot, don’t you?”  


Ja'far was intensely grateful most of his face was hidden behind a scarf. “…That’s what anyone would think, if they followed him for a while.”  


“Maybe. But you don’t have to hide how you feel,” Hinahoho said. He grinned. “It’s kind of obvious, you know.”  


“Is it?”  


“Yeah. I spent a long time pining over Rurumu, I _think_ I can guess when someone else is in the same boat,” Hinahoho replied. “But you two are together now, right? Rurumu seemed to think you were.”  


Ja'far stared at him. “…You two were talking about it?”  


“A little, I guess. She cares about you a lot, you know.”  


“Are you sure? I mean, I know she like having me around, but…isn’t it more because I’m useful than anything?” Ja'far asked, confused.  


Hinahoho sighed. “No, it’s because she’s taken a liking to you. Trust me, I’ve known her since we were little kids.”  


“I…” Ja'far shook his head. “…But…”  


“Come on, she talks about you _all_ the time,” Hinahoho said. “She’s really proud of how fast you’re learning from her, and she’s always asking about how your training with me is going. I mean, obviously, she cares about Sinbad, too. But with you it’s different. Like you’re her younger brother, or something.”  


Ja'far tugged his hood further forward over his face. He didn’t really get it, but…for some reason, it made him happy. But his eyes were watering a little- the wind must have picked up again, that was the only reason that made sense.  


The two of them continued their watch in silence after that. Eventually, Hinahoho broke the silence. “You didn’t say whether you and Sinbad had gotten together or not yet,” he pointed out, teasing.  


“Why do you want to know?”  


“I’m curious.”  


Ja'far scowled at him, the effect mostly lost with over half his face covered. “If I say ‘yes’, will you stop asking questions?”  


“Ah, so she was right after all. Congratulations!”  


Ja'far groaned quietly.  


“On that note, looks like our watch is over,” Hinahoho said, waving to the two Imuchakk approaching them. “Want to come back to the guardhouse and warm up?”  


Shaking his head, Ja'far said, “Thanks, but I just want to go to bed.”  


“Oh really?” Hinahoho grinned widely at him.  


Ja'far scowled at him. “Whatever you’re thinking, you should probably stop.”  


Hinahoho laughed. “Alright, I won’t say any more. Sleep well, Ja'far.”  


“Good night.”  


Ja'far headed back to the main building. Once he was off the walls and out of the bitter wind, he felt warmer immediately. The guards at the door waved to him as he went inside; he waved back, tugging the scarf from his face to smile at them.  


“Another boring night?” one of them asked.  


“Yeah,” Ja'far replied. “Just as well, though.”  


“You’re right, there. Sleep well.”  


“Thanks.” Ja'far went back to his room. The door was latched for once- he smiled slightly, knocking on the door.  


After a few moments, Sin said, “That you, Ja'far?”  


“Yeah, let me in?”  


The door opened, and Ja'far slipped inside, closing the door again behind him. Sin hugged him, leaning against him sleepily. “Look, I remembered to lock it this time.”  


“I noticed,” Ja'far replied, smiling. “Good job, there may be hope for you yet.”  


“Thanks, your faith in me is really sweet.” Sin let him go, yawning. “You’re freezing…”  


“No, really?” Ja'far replied, rolling his eyes. “Amazing. One would think I’d just spent six hours on top of the fuc- _freezing_ walls.”  


Sin snorted. “Nice catch. Anyway, you should get into bed.” Following his own advice, he rolled himself up in blankets. “Come on, I can warm you up.”  


“Mm…” Ja'far shook his head. “Go back to sleep.” He poked up the fire, enjoying the heat for a few minutes. Then he began to get undressed, folding his heavy clothes as he went and putting them on a chair.  


There was a soft whistle from behind him. Ja'far turned to glare at Sin, who just grinned and hid his face under a pillow.  


“Go to _sleep.”_  


“What, and miss a chance to check you out?” Sin’s voice was slightly muffled by the pillow.  


“Yes.” Ja'far sighed, shaking his head. He switched the rest of his clothes for lighter things to sleep in. Then he flopped down on top of the blankets next to Sin.  


Sin rolled over, loosening the blankets around himself, and pulled Ja'far close to him. With a contented sigh, Ja'far settled his head against Sin’s chest- minding the angle, so he didn’t stab Sin’s collarbone with a horn. Sin kissed the top of his head. “Warm enough?”  


“Mm…” Ja'far wrapped his arms around Sin, twining their legs together. “Sorry, I’m sure my feet feel like ice right now.”  


“A bit.” Sin pulled more blankets over the pair of them. “I’d put up with worse to keep holding you like this, though.”  


Ja'far could feel his face heating up. “Oh…just go back to sleep,” he muttered.  


It seemed Sin knew better than to push further. He nuzzled Ja'far’s hair. “Okay, okay. Good night.”  


“Night…” As Sin’s warmth seeped into his bones, Ja'far found himself drifting off quickly. _I could get used to this,_ he thought blissfully.  


*****  


It was near midwinter when Hinahoho declared the pair of them ready for a dragon hunt. The northern borders had reported a few smaller dragons had slipped past them; Rurumu and her father organized several teams to search for them and stop them before they could get close to the main population of Imuchakk.  


Ja'far, Sinbad and Hinahoho were placed on a team with two other warriors. Outside the walls, the snow had drifted deep- far too deep for Ja'far to move in with any speed. The Imuchakk used snowshoes, while Ja'far and Sinbad mostly stuck to the trees. The snowshoes were too clumsy for Ja'far, and Sin wanted to practice moving through the trees.  


“This is insane,” Sin commented on the second day, as the group took a break to eat a quick meal. “I don’t understand how you people can deal with this every winter.”  


Hinahoho snorted. “We’re built for it.”  


“That snowdrift is deeper than I am tall.” Sin waved a hand at a drift piled against a tree.  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. “I think there’s a bush under there. It’s not all snow.”  


“Come on, you’re supposed to be on my side!” Sin complained, flopping against Ja'far’s shoulder. “What if you fell into a snowdrift? We’d never find you.”  


“Sin, you aren’t the only one sick of slogging through the snow,” Ja'far snapped. “But bitc- _complaining_ constantly isn’t helping. Unless your master plan is to lure dragons out by whining at them for hours on end, please _shut up.”_  


The Imuchakk seemed to find this hilarious. Sin grinned sheepishly at him, then kissed him on the cheek by way of apology. Or making Ja'far forget he’d been annoyed, either was possible. “Shutting up now.”  


Face bright red, Ja'far muttered, “Well _that’s_ a miracle.” He tugged his hood further over his face to try and hide it. If Sin saw him smiling, he’d take that as a win.  


“If you two are done flirting, it’s time to get moving again.”  


Sin laughed. “Yes, sir!”  


*****  


Their squad ran into a dragon on their third day outside the walls. It was not as large as Ja'far had been worried about- probably twenty feet long, before the tail got involved. But that was certainly big enough to be a problem. Hinahoho’s arm was frozen by its initial strike, when he pushed one of the other Imuchakk out of the way of the dragon’s icy breath.  


Ja'far used his wires to jump to a tree behind the creature, hoping to line up a shot at one of the softer points on its head. The dragon turned, following him with interest. “You move funny. And you’re tiny,” it said, rearing up. Ja'far dodged just in time to avoid being crushed into the tree by its claws, but he slipped off the icy branch and fell into a deep snowdrift.  


_I hate it when Sin’s right,_ he thought, grimacing and beginning to dig his way out. He was _definitely_ over his head in snow.  


A moment later, a large hand grabbed him, dragging him out of the snow. Hinahoho hauled him free with his good arm. “You alright?”  


“Fine. You?”  


“I’ll live.”  


Ja'far nodded, looking around. The dragon was squaring off against Sin and the other Imuchakk. “Could you boost me into that tree? I’ll get stuck if I stay down here.”  


“Sure.” Hinahoho tossed him up, and Ja'far caught himself neatly on a branch.  


Easily swinging up to perch like a bird, he nodded to Hinahoho. “Thanks. I’ll try not to fall again.”  


“Be careful.”  


“Tell that to _him.”_ Ja'far sent his wires out to grab a branch just above the dragon’s head, swinging and letting go so he landed between the horns. Small he might be, but he was heavy enough to knock the dragon off balance.  


Sin was standing right in front of the damn thing, his arm torn open and bleeding. For a moment, everything Ja'far saw was red.  


All it took was a gesture, and his blades plunged into one of the dragon’s eyes. It shrieked as electricity lanced into the wound, thrashing and trying to claw the source of the pain. Ja'far was sent flying- smashing right into a tree and falling again, winded. The cold snapped him out of it, and he cursed himself mentally for losing him temper- he’d actually forgotten to brace himself, like a goddamn amateur.  


He dragged himself out of the snow, getting to his feet just in time to see Sin behead the dragon with what must have been a very lucky stroke.  


There were cheers from the Imuchakk, but Sin ignored them to run to Ja'far. “Are you okay?” he asked, steadying him with his good arm.  


Ja'far nodded. “…Winded me,” he said, hating the pathetic wheeze that came out of his mouth. “Fix your arm. And Hinahoho’s.”  


Sin gave him a quick kiss on the tip of one of his horns (not that anyone but them would be able to tell, since his horns were still covered). “Yes, sir.” He sat down, digging the healing wand out of his pack. “Hey, Hinahoho! Come here, I can fix up your arm.”  


It didn’t take long for them to get patched up and ready to go. Since the dragon wasn’t large, the Imuchakk decided it was worth going to the trouble of hauling the carcass back with them. “Besides,” Hinahoho explained, “we can take a more direct route on our way back. So it won’t take as long to get home as it did to get out here, even dragging this.”  


“And we’re not going to waste a chance like this,” another Imuchakk chipped in. “The skin’s mostly intact, so we can make a lot of armor with this. Oh yeah, almost forgot- this is your first kill, right?”  


“First dragon, yes,” Ja'far said dryly.  


“Right. So each of you get one of the teeth- it’s a trophy, of sorts.”  


Sin looked at the dragon’s head. “Those teeth look like they’re almost as long as my hand. It must be interesting if your first is a bigger dragon.”  


“You’ve seen one like that,” Hinahoho replied. “Rurumu’s. That’s not just an ornament tucked into her headband, you know.”  


“That’s a dragon tooth?” Sin asked, surprised. “I didn’t realize…the way it’s carved, I thought it was the horn from something.”  


Hinahoho nodded. “Yeah, it’s traditional for a warrior to decorate the tooth how they see fit.”  


“That’s pretty cool,” Sin said. He grinned. “Don’t you think, Ja'far?”  


“Yeah. We should get moving, though. It’s getting late,” Ja'far replied.  


“What, don’t you want a cool tooth?”  


“Yes, but that can wait until we find somewhere to make camp.”  


“He’s right. We should find something soon- especially since we’re dragging this around, we’ll want someplace sheltered,” said Hinahoho.  


*****  


The trip back was uneventful, and the squad finally dragged the dead (and now thoroughly frozen) dragon back inside the walls. Well, most of the squad, anyway. Ja'far got the privilege of scouting, keeping watch for any other incoming dragons. After all, he was the weakest when it came to hauling heavy things through the snow.  


At least Sin was too tired to complain anymore.  


When they reached the walls, a group of warriors came out to meet them, relieving them of their burden. Ja'far steadied Sin, who looked too exhausted to walk much further. Sin leaned against him with a tired sigh. “You’re lucky you’re too light to drag huge lizards,” he muttered. “I’m going to sleep for days now.”  


“Come on, we still have to walk back to our room first,” Ja'far said, smiling despite himself. “I am _not_ carrying you.”  


Inside the gates, Rurumu was waiting for them. She hugged Hinahoho tightly- Ja'far could have sworn Hinahoho’s feet left the ground for a few seconds, there. Then, to Ja'far’s immense surprise, she hugged him and Sin as well. Being picked up was a little startling, but he found he didn’t dislike it. She put them down, backing up to look over them carefully. “I’m glad you’re all back in one piece,” she said, beaming at them. “How did it go?”  


Hinahoho slipped a hand into hers, and she laced their fingers together. “They did a great job. Sinbad finished it off- I think he and Ja'far would’ve been fine just the two of them!”  


“You had to fish me out of a snowbank,” Ja'far reminded him. He fished his dragon tooth out of his pocket, holding it up so Rurumu could see. “Still, we did pretty well despite that.”  


“Ooh, that’s a nice one,” Rurumu said, leaning down to get a better look. “Ah, you took one of the bigger ones, it looks like?”  


Ja'far nodded. “Mmhm.” He nudged Sin, who had chosen that moment to lean more heavily onto him. “Hey, did you fall asleep on your feet? You’re _heavy,_ stop that!”  


His annoyance did not in any way deter Sin from leaning on him. “I’m asleep. I mean awake,” Sin said, wrapping his arms around Ja'far’s shoulders, snuggling against him.  


“You’re an embarrassment, is what you are,” Ja'far complained. He sighed. “Sorry, Rurumu, I think I need to drag this idiot to bed.”  


“Of course.” She giggled. “Have fun with that.”  


As he dragged Sin off, he heard Hinahoho comment, “I wonder when they’re getting married…”  


“Don’t rush them, dear. They really _are_ cute together, though, aren’t they?”  


“I can _hear_ you!” Ja'far called over his shoulder.  


“We know,” they replied, laughing.


	10. Chapter ten

Ja'far tossed Sin a rolled piece of paper, sitting down next to him on the bed. “Here. I was talking to Rurumu about our plans for the spring, and she gave me this. It ought to help with planning, especially now that you can actually _read_ it.”  


“Oh, thanks,” Sin said. He unrolled the map. “This’ll really help. So…we’re where, right now?”  


Sighing, Ja'far pointed. “Here. Just east of Valefor’s forest.”  


“Got it.” Sin frowned at the map. “…There’s not much here, do you think we’ll be better off trying a different continent? We can’t go back to the Central one, obviously, but maybe the Western?”  


“I’m not sure,” Ja'far admitted. “But this part here, along the southern coast of this continent- that could be promising, don’t you think?”  


Sin blinked. “Musta…Mustasim? Never heard of it.”  


“It’s a country inhabited by elves,” Ja'far explained. “I was reading about it a while ago. And elves are always associated with magic for a reason, aren’t they?”  


Sin lit up. “Yeah, that’s right! Ja'far, that’s _perfect!_ We can ask them about the stone, I’m sure they’ll be able to figure it out,” he said, grinning. _“And_ we’ll get to see elves. Which would be reason enough to go on its own, really.”  


Ja'far smiled. “You sound happy.”  


“I _am,”_ Sin replied, giving him a quick kiss. “Come on, don’t act like you aren’t curious, too. We don’t have elves in Partevia- mostly just humans, and I saw a few dwarves as I went north. So meeting an entirely different kind of person is _really_ exciting.”  


“I suppose.”  


“What, you don’t think so?” Sin asked, putting the map down.  


Ja'far shook his head. “I guess. I like it here, though.”  


“Do you want to stay here?”  


“What? No, I can’t.” Ja'far sighed. “Even if I wanted to, I’d just put them in danger. The Guild would-”  


Sin petted his hair. “What if they weren’t a problem?”  


“Obviously, I’d still want to go with you,” Ja'far said. “Though…I’d be happy staying longer, or coming back sometimes…”  


“We should come back,” Sin agreed. “Maybe we’ll learn something worth teaching the Imuchakk while we’re traveling. But even if we didn’t, Rurumu and Hinahoho would be really happy to see us again.”  


Ja'far smiled. “…You’re right.”  


“I love it when you agree with me,” Sin commented, grinning. “Makes me feel like I’m _really_ doing something right.”  


Smacking him with a pillow, Ja'far said, “Don’t even start. Which way should we go to get to Mustasim, do you think?”  


Sin grabbed the pillow with one hand, his other hand circling around both of Ja'far’s wrists and pulling him forward onto his stomach. It happened so fast, and Ja'far hadn’t been expecting it at all. He thought he heard Sin saying something, but…  


_His instructor had half-thrown him to the ground, hand still encircling Ja'far’s wrists. Ja'far tried not to wince at the way his shoulders protested, at the pain in his knees as they connected with the ground._ Don’t show pain, don’t show it…it’ll make it worse, _he reminded himself._  


_“As all of you are aware, working through pain is an important skill.” That was all the warning Ja'far got before a stick slapped against the bared soles of his feet. Ja'far froze, forcing himself not to move._  


Moving will make it worse. Moving means he might mess up. Don’t move.  


_The rigid, thick cane hit his feet again and again. Ja'far tried to hold himself still, tried not to let himself flinch away. Counting the strokes wouldn’t help, so he concentrated on the ground in front of him._  


_Finally, the instructor let go of his wrists. “Start running laps around the compound. Next student, come forward.”_  


_Ja'far stumbled to his feet, trying to keep his whimper inaudible. He could barely stand, but he had to move, had to start running._  


_“Ja'far?”_  


_Someone was touching his shoulder…_  


“Ja'far, can you hear me?”  


Ja'far blinked, eyes refocusing. Nothing hurt, he was sitting on his bed, and Sin was looking at him with equal parts concern and…guilt? Why? He looked down at his hands, wondering why they were trembling.  


“Come on, talk to me. Are you alright?”  


Slowly, Ja'far nodded. “…Sorry.”  


Sin gently draped blankets around Ja'far. “I should be the one apologizing- I scared you, didn’t I?” he asked. “Sorry, I grabbed you without thinking.”  


With a sigh, Ja'far leaned against Sin’s chest. _I’m still upset, this is stupid…_ “It’s okay. You just…startled me. I’m fine.”  


Movements a little hesitant, Sin tugged Ja'far into his lap. “I’ll be more careful, though.” He loosely wrapped his arms around Ja'far, nuzzling against him. “Messing around is no fun if I upset you.”  


“…Thanks,” Ja'far sighed, relaxing a little. Sin was warm, and smelled so nice- the combination was surprisingly soothing. Freeing a hand, he tugged the map closer. “So. Mustasim. How do we get there?”  


Sin kissed the top of his head. “Let’s see…it _looks_ fastest to cut across the Forest of Valefor, but that’s obviously out. I doubt we could fly over it non-stop.” He traced a path with a finger. “If we go around the northern edge, we hit those mountains. Flying or hiking would work, but it would still be cold, I think.”  


“Yeah.” Ja'far pointed. “We could follow that river, there. It cuts through the mountains, and I _think_ it would work pretty well. We would stay away from people, too- less info for Falan’s crew.”  


“True, but it might be shorter if we follow the southern edge of the forest.” Sin tapped a spot on the map. “Less terrain to worry about, and it should be warmer, too. We won’t have to worry as much about exposure.”  


Ja'far frowned thoughtfully. “It looks exposed. Do you really think it’s worth the speed, if we’re out in the open?”  


“I think so. We’ve delayed so much already, after all,” Sin pointed out.  


“Not like we could do much, with the snow cutting everything off.”  


“True. Though that’s worked to our benefit, too- kept us safe from Falan’s crew for these past months.” Sin sighed. “We have to move fast, once the weather eases up.”  


Ja'far nodded. “You’re right…” _I wish we could stay long enough to see Rurumu and Hinahoho get married, though._ “Along the southern edge it is. Another benefit is being able to resupply in villages along the way, I suppose, as long as we don’t linger.”  


“Agreed.” Sin kissed the base of one of Ja'far’s horns, making the tiefling blush. “Feel better, now that we have that figured out?”  


“Mmhm.” Ja'far curled against Sin’s chest. “It’s nice when you plan ahead.”  


“So organization turns you on, hm?” Sin teased.  


Ja'far elbowed him. “You have issues.”  


*****  


“You’re sure you don’t want to stay longer?” Rurumu asked. “Of course, it’s your decision, but leaving as soon as the roads to the south are clear…”  


Sin nodded, eyebrows furrowed as he wrote. “It’s not that we don’t _want_ to stay longer,” he said. “We just have to move quickly once the weather clears.”  


“Will you at least tell me why?” Rurumu asked, looking over at Ja'far.  


Frowning, Ja'far looked up from the tooth he was carving. Rurumu had shown him how to do it, and now he was trying to make it match his knives- he liked the pattern. “I don’t know.” He looked over at Sin, questioning.  


Sin grinned at him. “You should tell her, I’m trying to make this legible.”  


“Good luck with that.” Ja'far met Rurumu’s concerned gaze. “Well…Sin has a weird magical artifact. People who…aren’t so good want to take it from him. I was…working with them, for a little while. But then I joined Sin, so now they’re after both of us.” He frowned down at the dragon tooth. “…Because of all the snow, and how strong your people are, they haven’t been able to make a move. Once the snow clears, though, we can’t put your people at risk.”  


“I would…the Imuchakk would protect you, you know. You two have trained with us, fought beside us. To us, that makes you Imuchakk.” She ruffled Ja'far’s hair. “Though I guess the two of you will leave anyway, right?”  


“Yeah,” Sin said. “We _have_ to go. To figure out what we have, and why those people want it so badly.”  


“…I wish we could go with you.”  


Ja'far blinked. “You…do?”  


“Of course!” she replied. “Though I’m sure Hinahoho and I would stand out a lot, we could still help you.” She sighed. “But my father needs me here. It would be hard for him if Hinahoho and I left.”  


“Even with what I just said, you’d want to go with us?” Ja'far asked.  


Rurumu nodded. “Yes. Maybe even especially because of that, I suppose.” Smiling at Ja'far, she asked, “Is it so surprising that people want to help?”  


“N-No, it’s not that,” Ja'far said. “But I just said that I was with the people who were attacking us before, and you didn’t even bat an eyelash.”  


“Well, Sinbad trusts you,” she pointed out. “And so do I. Besides, from what I’ve seen, you act like someone who came from a rough sort of place. Now that people are treating you like a person, you feel more like one. Something like that.”  


Ja'far glanced over at Sin, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Sin shook his head with a slight smile. Ja'far sighed. “…Well…anyway. Now you understand, right? Why we’re leaving so soon?”  


“I understand. But you’ll come back eventually, right?” Rurumu asked.  


“Yeah,” Ja'far said, smiling.  


“Well, that’s the important thing.”  


*****  


Eventually, the roads to the south cleared enough for Sin and Ja'far to leave. Preparing to depart was surprisingly simple- well, it was just the two of them, and they were both inclined towards traveling light, so maybe it wasn’t so surprising, after all. Regardless, they set out early; Rurumu, Hinahoho and Pipirika came to see them off.  


“Do you _really_ have to go?” Pipirika asked.  


Sin nodded, smiling at her. “Sorry, but we do. We’ll miss you, Pipirika.”  


Hinahoho laughed. “You’ll be too busy to miss us, I bet.”  


“And you and Rurumu will be too busy being married to miss us,” Sin teased.  


“Different from you two how, exactly?”  


“What about me?” Pipirika asked. “I’ll be bored.”  


Ja'far shook his head. “You’ll be training, so you can brag to us about being a full-fledged warrior by the time we get back. So you won’t have _time_ to be bored.”  


“He’s right,” Rurumu agreed, smiling. She knelt down to be closer to Sin and Ja'far’s eye level. “As for the two of you… Please, take care of yourselves. I know you’re both powerful, but that doesn’t mean you can afford to be reckless. Keep that in mind.”  


“We know,” Sin said. Ja'far nodded agreement.  


Rurumu hugged Sin. “Sinbad, don’t you dare let anything happen to Ja'far. If you do, I won’t be happy with you.”  


Sin laughed, though Ja'far thought he sounded a little nervous. “Yes, ma'am.”  


“Good.” She hugged Ja'far tightly. “Remember to sleep and eat enough. Just because you can go without doesn’t mean you _should._ And don’t forget to come back when you can, alright?”  


Ja'far nodded. His throat felt like there was a knot in it, somehow. “…I’ll remember.”  


“Please do. It would complicate everything if we had to come looking for you,” she teased, letting him go.  


Hinahoho ruffled Ja'far and Sin’s hair. “Rurumu said it better than I could. Have fun out there, both of you!”  


“Don’t forget to come back,” Pipirika said. “You two make everything more interesting.”  


Laughing, Sin said, “More interesting than dragons? Somehow, I doubt it.”  


Ja'far smiled at the Imuchakk. “Thank you for everything. We’ll be sure to come back when we can.”  


Sin nodded, grinning. “Yeah, thanks. Maybe next time we’ll be able to teach you some interesting things in return for all you’ve taught us!” He unrolled the magic carpet. 

“Ready, Ja'far?”  


“…Yeah.”  


They got onto the carpet, and sailed into the air. Ja'far couldn’t help watching the Imuchakk until they were out of sight. Finally, he rested his head against Sin’s shoulder with a sigh.  


“You alright?”  


“Mmhm. I’m fine.”  


Sin wrapped an arm around him. “It’s okay to miss them. And don’t worry, we really _will_ come back and see them again once we’ve dealt with the stone.”  


“I know.” Ja'far sighed, straightening to keep a lookout for danger. “…That was the first time in my life I’ve ever felt…safe, I suppose. Even if we _did_ fight several dragons, I felt _comfortable_ there.”  


“…You could still go back, if you really want to,” Sin offered, arm tightening around Ja'far.  


“Absolutely not. I’m staying with you, no matter what.”  


Chuckling, Sin asked, “Is it selfish that I love it when you say things like that?”  


“Probably.”  


They traveled south for less than a day. Even though they were both on guard- Ja'far more than Sin, obviously- they had no warning before the flash of light came. It _burned,_ and perhaps even worse, the same beams that were hitting them tore through the carpet, shredding it to ribbons.  


Ja'far grabbed Sin, using his wires to slow their fall. _Lucky we weren’t traveling far off the ground,_ he thought, landing as gracefully as he could. “Sin, are you alright?” he asked, pulling himself to his feet and looking around, assessing.  


“Fine. You?”  


“Alright.” There were at least a dozen opponents; a mix of wizards and assassins, it seemed. The man who looked like he was in charge had more of a fighter’s appearance than anything, yet he carried a staff, and floated gracefully to the ground.  


He grinned. “And you came right to us! Imagine that. I hear you’ve been giving my girl Falan a bit of a headache. Can’t have that.” The man was tall and muscular, with long white hair, a patch over one eye, and some sort of piercing through his cheek.  


_Thank all the gods we left when we did,_ Ja'far thought.  


“Sorry we’re bothering your girl,” Sin replied cheerfully, though Ja'far could hear the pain in his voice. “But really, this is quite a welcoming party. We’re flattered.”  


“Laugh while you can, Sinbad,” the man replied. “We’ve had time to prepare for this while you were having fun with those giants. And believe me, I am going to have fun with this.” He pointed his staff at Ja'far. “Especially when it comes to getting rid of this runt. You already know what happens when you betray your Guild- and believe me, my people repay betrayal tenfold.”  


“Were you going to stand around all day?” a familiar female voice asked. Ja'far turned quickly, seeing Falan, staff in hand and hood pushed back, floating to the ground. “Like, there’s no way you can talk them to death, Wahid.”  


“I hear ya, babe.” Light shot from the end of his staff; even though Ja'far dodged behind a tree, the spell still hit him squarely, knocking him to the ground and tearing his shoulder open. “Let’s kill them and finish this.”


	11. Chapter eleven

_They were waiting for us,_ Ja'far thought, struggling to his feet. He looked over at Sin; the idiot was watching _him_ instead of the enemy. Ja'far shook his head. “Sin, concentrate,” he snapped. “I’m fine.” That was a lie; Ja'far knew his injuries were going to slow him down. And that was _before_ the blood loss got to him.  


“Liar,” Falan said, sounding almost amused. “Alright, boys. Wahid and I’ll take Ja'far, the rest of you go for Sinbad.”  


_Fuck._ Ja'far made a break for Sin- he couldn’t let him fight all those people alone.  


“Nope.” A spear of ice slammed into the ground right in front of Ja'far, forcing him to a halt. Wahid grinned at him. “We’re not letting you team up.”  


“Ja'far!”  


“I’m _fine!”_ Ja'far yelled. “Worry about yourself, dammit!” He tightened his grip on his blades, dodging a second bolt of ice. _This isn’t good…I’m too slow!_  


A small sphere of flames dropped in front of him, and Ja'far threw himself out of the way. _Shit shit shit shit shit…_ The fireball exploded, but Ja'far was clear-  


-and right in the path of a lightning bolt. His throat locked as the electricity coursed through him, immobilizing him for a moment before he dropped to the ground. There wasn’t even time to scream before a spear of ice pinned his already-injured shoulder to the ground.  


But Wahid made the mistake of getting too close, assuming Ja'far was helpless. With his good arm, Ja'far pointed at him, silently commanding his blades. Wires shot out, tangling around Wahid, and the knives plunged into his body, electrocuting him. Wahid yelled in pain, staggering and falling to one knee.  


“Wahid!” Falan loomed in Ja'far’s line of sight, face distorted with rage. “Let him go, _now.”_ Her staff touched Ja'far’s chest. “Or I’ll _make you.”_  


Ja'far glared back at her. “Just try it.” He yanked on the wires in his hands, sending another pulse of magic through them.  


The blood drained from Falan’s face as Wahid cried out again. She whispered a spell, and Ja'far braced himself for more pain. But the pain didn’t come- not the way he’d expected. There was a pressure on his mind, like someone pushing their way into his skull. Ja'far’s eyes widened, squirming, free hand going to clutch his head. “What…what are you doing?”  


“Making you.”  


With as much energy as he could muster, Ja'far tore the ice spear out of his shoulder. He released Wahid, calling the knives back- and having them slash Falan on the way. The pressure faltered, and Ja'far let his blades float around him, like a pair of snakes, as he dragged himself to his feet.  


Someone grabbed him- he nearly stabbed them, before he realized it was Sin. “We’re retreating,” Sin informed him breathlessly. “Can you run?” He didn’t seem hurt too badly, Ja'far noticed with relief.  


“Yeah…”  


They ran, Ja'far barely able to focus on where he was going, as they made for the thicker trees. “Are you insane?” Ja'far asked. “Valefor’s forest?”  


“Yes and yes,” Sin replied. “Just keep running, we’ll die if we stay here in the open.”  


Ja'far nodded. There was a freezing gust of wind- another spell? He could hear Sin’s footsteps near him, and that was what mattered. His vision was starting to blur- were they still being followed? Between his growing dizziness and the swirling snow, he wasn’t sure where he was putting his feet anymore.  


_Was_ Sin still beside him…?  


A wolf’s howl broke through the haze forming in his mind; clearer than anything he’d ever heard, loud and somehow triumphant. It was strange that he could hear it so clearly, with even his own steps sounding fainter and fainter as he continued. Everything felt colder, all of a sudden- Ja'far shivered, stumbling to a halt. “Sin…?” he whispered.  


There was no answer.  


_Where…? Where did he go?_ Ja'far looked around, focus hazy. He was utterly alone in the snowy forest- certainly much snowier than the road had been. Though he could barely feel the cold through his clothes, he was nearly up to his knees in snow. _For that matter, where am I?_  


_“And what does one of your kind want here?”_  


The voice was felt as much as heard; felt in the frozen air, the snow under his feet, heard in the howling of wolves and icy wind. Ja'far looked around frantically, trying to find a source for the voice, something to fight if he had to…  


“You know what I am?” he asked, hoping to get it to speak again.  


_“Of course I do.”_  


Ja'far swallowed hard. There was nothing there- he could be hallucinating, for all he knew. “My partner and I were escaping,” he said carefully. “We didn’t mean to trespass. But I seem to have lost him in the confusion.”  


_“Not exactly. I separated the two of you- and the ones who followed you. This is my territory, and I do not allow just anyone to pass through.”_  


_That’s not good…_ Ja'far put a hand against a tree to steady himself. “That makes sense, I suppose. If you want us to leave, we’ll go.” His knees buckled, and he slid down to kneel on the ground. “…Just let him leave unharmed.”  


Snow crunched softly. Ja'far looked up, finding himself staring into the icy eyes of a massive, snow-white wolf. It was easily as large as the first dragon he and Sin had fought. As it breathed, the very air around them seemed to grow still colder- or was that blood loss? It was so close to him that Ja'far could see individual flakes of snow caught in its fur.  


_I’m going to die,_ Ja'far thought. But he tried to remain calm, tried not to look as worried as he felt. As if that counted for something; as if poise would shield him from this wolf.  


It moved closer still, and Ja'far closed his eyes. _Sin…I hope you get out safely, at least._  


Next thing he knew, he was being lifted by the back of his coat. _“I’m taking you to your mate. The two of you seem interesting.”_  


Ja'far blinked. “…Thank you?”  


_“You’re welcome.”_  


It was hard to tell if the wolf was running, or if the woods were moving around them. Ja'far wasn’t sure how much of the blur was his own fading senses, and how much was the magic of the forest. But it wasn’t long at all before he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.  


“Ja'far! Ja'far, don’t you _dare_ be dead!”  


Ja'far was dropped into the snow. He lifted his head, and moments later Sin was holding him close, pressing a relieved kiss to his forehead. “Thank the gods you’re alive… Hold on, let me get the wand out.” After a few seconds of uncomfortable jostling, Ja'far felt the gentle warmth of healing magic flowing through him. The worst of his injuries healed instantly, leaving him with only a few dull aches. “…Dammit, I think the wand’s used up. Are you alright? Can you move?”  


“I’m _fine,_ Sin, calm down,” Ja'far said, sitting up carefully. He blinked, staring at Sin. “…Were you…?” _He can’t have been_ that _scared, can he?_  


“I’m fine. You scared the hell out of me, though.” He pulled Ja'far into a tight hug. “When I lost track of you, I thought you’d been caught, killed… And then _this_ beast shows up, carrying you like you’re his dinner.”  


Ja'far kissed him. “I told you, I’ll stay with you no matter what,” he reminded Sin. It was still so strange to him that Sin worried over him so much.  


“Right…right.” Sin took a deep breath, getting himself under control. Then he looked over at the wolf, who was watching them with interest. “You…must be the god Valefor.”  


_“Correct.”_ Valefor rested his head on his forepaws. _“And you are a_ very _odd pair.”_  


Sin’s arms tightened around him- almost painfully tight. “Nothing wrong with that, is there?”  


_“Nope. Makes you two more interesting,”_ Valefor replied, tail waving back and forth, for all the world like any happy dog. _“You kind of look like someone I know…ever hear of someone named Focalor?”_  


Sin and Ja'far looked at each other, questioning, then both shook their heads. “Is he another god?” Sin asked.  


_“Yeah, he’s the god of sleeping around and being a nuisance. Or something like that.”_ The god laughed- not something Ja'far had ever expected from a deity- then again, he hadn’t been expecting the god to completely drop his formal demeanor, either. _“Not the issue at hand, though. Are you followers of Solomon?”_  


“No?”  


“Never heard of him.”  


_“He’s a newbie god, though he’s tied to this world the way I am. But there’s a group of mortals who’re trying to destroy him- they’re the people you were fighting.”_  


Sin’s eyes widened. “Destroy a _god?_ Is that possible?”  


_“Why would I tell mortals_ that? _Anyway, they’re rude, and disrupting the balance of this world. So why would they go after you, if you aren’t Solomon’s?”_  


“Because we have something they need,” Sin replied. “Oh, and Ja'far betrayed them, so they might be a little annoyed about that.”  


Ja'far sighed. “If Solomon’s a god, can’t he just…smite them or something?”  


Valefor looked amused. _“That would make everyone’s lives easier, sure. But on the other hand, gods have to be limited in their ability to intervene, or else things descend into chaos. For example, if I ate all the white dragons, the Goddess of the evil dragons would come stomping out of the Nine Hells to fight me and destroy the north. Other gods with influence in the area would join in, the conflict would spread, and eventually…well, the Material Plane would be toast, that’s for sure.”_  


“…Material Plane?” Sin asked, raising an eyebrow.  


_“Where we live. There’s a lot of different planes of existence; the Inner Planes- mostly Elemental stuff, kind of boring unless you like infinite fire; the Outer Planes- where the more influential gods live, or where the Nine Hells and the Abyss are located; and planes like the Astral and Ethereal Planes, which are basically only interesting to wizards.”_ Valefor rolled onto his side. _“All that’s kind of boring, though. The Material Plane’s the most important, since we live on it.”_  


While Ja'far was inclined to agree, he couldn’t help noticing the gleam of curiosity in Sin’s eyes. _Something tells me we’ll be exploring other planes someday,_ he thought, amused. “Alright, so Solomon can’t deal with them directly. Does he have clerics or paladins? I thought they were meant to assist their god.”  


_“You’re right,”_ Valefor agreed. _“But for whatever reason, his followers have been held back from intervening directly.”_ He huffed out a snowy sigh. _“What do you have that they need? A weapon or something?”_  


Sin pulled the rock out of his pack. “This thing. I have no idea what it is,” he said.  


Valefor trotted over, sniffing it curiously. He backed up, eyes narrowing. _“…What is wrong with them?! That’s disgusting!”_  


“Huh? What is it, do you know?”  


Shaking himself, Valefor sat down. _“I cannot tell you- that’s part of the spell. Ugh! That’s terrible, poor thing…”_ He growled. _“Find a way to undo this, and make sure whoever does is careful. Whatever you do, make sure it is_ undone _and not destroyed. Do you understand?”_  


Ja'far and Sin exchanged puzzled looks. “Um…I understand what you’re saying,” Sin said. “Find someone to reverse the spell, not destroy this thing. Is it alive? Is that why you’re-”  


_“I can’t tell you more than I have.”_  


Sin frowned at the rock in his hand. “…They’re stronger than I thought, if _you_ can’t tell us more than that.”  


_“They’re powerful, but the problem is they’re also_ clever. _Using Divine Law to their advantage that way… I’d be impressed, if I wasn’t disgusted. Did Baal know you had this when he gave you his blessing?”_  


“…When he what?” Sin asked.  


Valefor blinked at him. _“You’re unaware of it? Baal blessed you, I can smell it. Well, it isn’t something you would notice until it was needed, so you must have been lucky.”_  


“Oh.” Sin smiled, glancing at Ja'far. “…I guess I have been lucky. Anyway, I think he must have known I had this.”  


_“He may be an obnoxious stick-in-the-mud, but he’s not the God of Heroes for nothing,”_ Valefor said, sighing. _“I wonder what I should do…this is important, sure, but it’s not really my department. Baal can do what he wants if he thinks you’re a hero, but I’m a little different.”_  


“Aren’t the Imuchakk your people?” Sin asked.  


Valefor blinked at him. _“Yes, of course. Not as much as the wolves, but they’re still mine. Why?”_  


Sin grinned. “Well, we _did_ winter over with them, and fight white dragons alongside them.” He pointed to the carved tooth in Ja'far’s headband. “See? We learned a lot from them. I’ve got one of those too, but I’m still working on it.”  


_“Your point being?”_  


“That’s your connection to us, if you want to help,” Sin explained. “Rurumu- their chief’s daughter, she practically adopted Ja'far- said that the Imuchakk kinda considered us to be one of them now. So giving your blessing wouldn’t be strange, now would it?”  


Valefor grinned, exposing far too many teeth for Ja'far’s liking. _“You’ll be able to fight them after all…you’re sneaky like they are. And here I thought the devilspawn would be the one to come up with the way to twist the rules…”_ He stood, shaking out his fur. _“Very well. Come here, Sinbad.”_  


Sin let Ja'far go to get up and approach the wolf god. Valefor sniffed him. _“Take out that dragon tooth of yours.”_ Sin obliged, holding it out to Valefor. The air chilled abruptly, and Ja'far shivered as a blue-white light filled the woods around them.  


After a moment, the light and chill faded. Valefor’s tail waved cheerfully. _“I think that should be helpful. Now, as for you…”_ He walked over to Ja'far, sniffing him. Ja'far kept still, not sure what to expect. _“…You really are weird. Huh.”_  


“What does that mean?” Sin asked.  


_“Your mate doesn’t smell like anything. Even to me. I was expecting a metal smell or something, but…anyway.”_ The air chilled, and there was a much briefer flash of light. Valefor stepped back. _“There we go.”_  


“Thank you,” Ja'far said.  


_“Well, you may be freakish devilspawn, but at least you’re polite,”_ Valefor commented. _“I think you’ll do very well with this business, both of you- so long as you work together, at least.”_ He yawned. _“I should send you on your way- wouldn’t do if I kept you here too long.”_  


Tilting his muzzle to the sky, he let out a long, deafening howl. Ja'far covered his ears, but it didn’t seem to help block out the god’s overwhelming voice. While Ja'far’s ears were still ringing, two more wolves- smaller than Valefor, but still far larger than any normal wolf- came trotting up. One of them had a bloodstained muzzle, Ja'far noticed uneasily.  


_“These children of mine will carry you to the border of my territory. Which direction were you heading?”_  


“South, towards Mustasim,” Sin replied.  


_“They’ll leave you at the southern border, then. Enjoy your quest…thing.”_  


“Thanks?” Sin said.  


They got onto the wolves’ backs, and as soon as they were situated, the wolves set off, running with long, easy strides. The forest seemed to fly past them far too quickly for the speed the wolves were moving; Ja'far started to feel dizzy thinking about it. _Maybe it wasn’t just blood loss making everything a blur before,_ he thought uncomfortably. 

Closing his eyes and trying not to think about it was the only real way to avoid nausea, so Ja'far stuck with that.  


After what felt like an eternity, the wolves skidded to a halt, looking pleased with themselves. Ja'far opened his eyes slowly. The forest was thinning out, and the snow was mostly gone. “Are we here already?” he wondered aloud.  


“I think we are,” Sin replied. “That was so _cool!”_  


Ja'far scowled at him, sliding off the wolf. “With respect to the wolves, no. No, it wasn’t.”  


Sin hopped down, patting his wolf. “You alright?”  


“Yes.”  


“…You look a little queasy, there.”  


“Oh, shut up.”  


Sin put an arm around him, grinning. “I’m just teasing.”  


“I know.” Ja'far turned to the wolves, who were watching them with interest. “Um…thank you for the ride.” One of the wolves wagged its tail; the other scratched its ear. “…I’m not sure they understood that.”  


“Me either. Want to get going?”  


Ja'far nodded. “Which way should we go?”  


“Southwest, so…that way.”  


As they stepped out of the trees, onto an open plain, the air grew warmer. Sin shaded his eyes, looking around. “I can see so much further now…it’s been a while since I’ve been out in the open,” he commented.  


“Mmm…” Ja'far frowned, scanning the area. “We’ll have to be more careful- it’s not impossible for enemies to stay hidden out here.”  


“I know,” Sin replied. He grinned. “But we can keep ourselves hidden, too. Try not to worry yourself sick, Ja'far. We’ll keep our eyes open, obviously, but I think Valefor bought us some time.”  


Ja'far nodded. “At least as far as Falan and Wahid are concerned, but if there’s others on their side…”  


“Then we’ll deal with them, too.”


	12. Chapter twelve

The first two days on the plains were uneventful- Ja'far supposed Sin was right after all about the shortcut through Valefor’s forest buying them time. But at the same time, he couldn’t let his guard down- he didn’t think they would survive another surprise like the last one. Especially since their healing wand had run out.  


On the second night away from the forest, Ja'far was keeping watch as usual. He was too restless to sleep, anyway, so it might as well be him. Their small fire was nothing but embers, and Sin was sleeping far too peacefully for someone in their situation. Ja'far knew it was because Sin trusted him, and not because he was careless, but it still surprised him. No matter how much he trusted Sin, after all, it was still difficult for him to sleep soundly out on the road.  


There was light out on the plain- just a small one. Like a campfire, only less hidden than their own. Ja'far could see it- close enough to be worrying, but not close enough to provoke immediate alarm. He kept an eye out elsewhere, too, but that damn fire kept drawing his attention.  


Finally, he gave up. He had to investigate. Silently, he moved away from their campsite, making his way towards the other light. _Is it a trick of some kind…? Other travelers?_ He looked back, making sure nothing else was taking advantage of his distraction. _Clear so far._  


Since it was far away, Ja'far decided not to go all the way there. Just close enough to see who was there. Using what natural cover he could gain from the terrain, he did his best to remain concealed from anyone else who might be awake. But that was the odd thing- there didn’t seem to be anyone by the fire at all.  


_It was a decoy,_ Ja'far thought, alarmed.  


And sure enough, as he turned to head back, he saw someone moving stealthily closer to Sin.  


Ja'far hurried back, making sure to keep his movements silent and trying to stay out of the intruder’s sight. As he got closer, he saw that she was a young woman- a few years younger than him, by the look of her. Though she was small, she was fairly muscular. Her hair was an odd shade of red- not that Ja'far felt qualified to call anyone else ‘odd’.  


She leaned over Sin, and that was when Ja'far lunged, wires flying to trap her arms.  


Like a startled animal, she jumped back- not quite far enough, but she moved so fast that Ja'far felt it was only luck he’d caught her. His wires encircled her arms, and his blades paused just shy of her throat. “Step away from him.”  


Warily, she moved aside, eyes as red as her hair locked on Ja'far. He glared back at her, taking a step closer to allow his wires to bind her more tightly.  


“What were you trying to do?” he snapped.  


She didn’t answer. Beside her, Sin sat up- Ja'far was both relieved that he hadn’t been hurt, and annoyed that it had taken him so damn long to wake up. The girl’s eyes flickered not to Sin, but to the pack he’d been sleeping on. Ja'far’s eyes narrowed. _So she’s after the stone, too. One of Falan’s people, I suppose. She doesn’t look like an assassin, though._  


“Found us after all, did you?” Sin asked, grabbing his sword and standing up. “Well, the reprieve was nice while it lasted.”  


Looking back and forth between the two, the girl scowled. Then, moving so quickly even Ja'far couldn’t react in time, she grabbed his blades, pulled them away from her throat, and used the wires holding her arms to pick him up and spin him over her head. Then she slammed him into the ground.  


As Ja'far felt the wind leave his body, his concentration wavered, giving her the chance to free herself from the wires. He dimly heard a scuffle, but by the time he sat up, the girl was gone. Sin knelt down beside him, bloodied sword in hand. “You alright?”  


Ja'far nodded. “You?” he asked, voice barely a croak. _My entire right side is going to be a massive bruise…I don’t think any ribs are cracked, at least._  


“I’m fine. I know my sword connected, but she ran. Guess she didn’t want to fight us both,” Sin replied. He grimaced. “Not sure why she didn’t, she was stronger than anyone I’ve ever seen. At least she didn’t grab the pack from me.”  


“Fast, too.” Ja'far coughed. That helped reinflate his lungs a bit. “What…was she, I wonder…?”  


“No idea. I’ve never seen anyone move like that- not even you.” Sin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “…She was acting different from the people Falan’s sent after us. They’re more interested in killing us first, reclaiming the stone later.”  


“Mmm. Maybe…she realized it wasn’t working?” Ja'far wondered.  


Sin handed him a waterskin. Ja'far accepted it gratefully. “That’s possible,” Sin said thoughtfully. “But remember what Valefor said? There’s people Falan’s crew are working against. Solomon’s followers. What if that girl’s one of them? What if that’s why she’s using different tactics than everyone else did?”  


“Maybe,” Ja'far said doubtfully. “Not going to let her hurt you, though, on the off chance she’s on the 'right side’.”  


“That’s very sweet of you,” Sin teased.  


Ja'far just glared at him, not deigning to respond to that. “Should we ask her, next time she attacks? I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of her.”  


“Yeah, that seems like a good idea. We’ll have to get her to hold still for that, though- no use asking a question while she’s beating us into the ground.”  


“Well, we’ve already determined that my wires aren’t enough,” Ja'far said dryly.  


Sin winced. “True. Gods, that was horrifying- I know you’re light, but still, swinging you around like that…”  


“Don’t remind me.”  


*****  


Neither of them got any more sleep that night- or, well, any at all in Ja'far’s case. Neither of them really wanted to; they were too worried about the girl showing up again. To make their lives even better, it started to rain not long after they set off the next morning. Sin groaned, shoving their map back into the pack.  


“Thank the gods this thing is waterproof.”  


Ja'far nodded absently, too busy scanning the horizon to pay much attention.  


“If she has any sense, she’ll wait until it stops raining,” Sin told him gently. “Slippery ground will work against her as much as us.”  


“I know.” Ja'far sighed. “I just can’t believe she left so easily…”  


“Yeah. She must’ve been feeling things out- for herself, or someone else, I wish we knew.”  


“That’s not reassuring.”  


Sin grimaced. “You’re telling me.” He paused, tilting his head. “…Did you hear that just now?”  


“No, just you talking.”  


Frowning, Sin looked around. “…I must have imagined it.” He grinned at Ja'far. “Since you’re the one who didn’t sleep at all, I’d think it would be _you_ imagining things.”  


“Hilarious,” Ja'far grumbled. He looked around as well. “…What did you hear? Maybe you heard something I didn’t.”  


“Not sure, it sounded a little like a whisper.” Sin sighed. “Like I said, it was probably nothing.”  


“Wind, maybe.”  


Sin nodded. “Yeah… Ugh, this rain is driving me insane.”  


“Is there any weather you _don’t_ complain about?” Ja'far asked.  


“Yes. Warm and not raining,” Sin replied, grinning.  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. “Great, you’ll be complaining forever, then.”  


“Come on, I’m not that bad!”  


“Yes, you are.” Ja'far’s eyes narrowed, and he paused. “…Do you see that?”  


“Where?”  


“Behind us, to your left.”  


Sin looked, keeping it as subtle as he could. “…What’s back there?”  


“Not sure.” Ja'far scowled. _I’m sure I saw something red…it wasn’t that girl again, was it?_  


“Well, you’re seeing things and I’m hearing things. Today just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?” Sin asked cheerfully.  


Sighing, Ja'far said, “We’d better just keep moving. There’s at least one town between us and the borders of Mustasim, right?”  


“Yeah. We’ll get to a river, then follow that until we hit the forest. Before the forest, though, there’s a good-sized town- I think Rururmu said it was where the elves do a lot of their trading,” Sin replied.  


“Good.” Ja'far smiled tiredly. “…We’ve had good luck in towns so far, so hopefully that will give us a chance to rest.”  


Sin slung an arm around Ja'far’s shoulders, pulling him in for a quick hug. “That’ll be nice. I know you can go for days and all, but I’m not there yet.”  


“How did you survive having an army and a dragon after you?”  


“Hid in holes a lot, basically.”  


“That’s surprisingly reasonable.”  


“I can actually be smart sometimes, you know,” Sin replied, laughing.  


Ja'far shook his head. “I know you’re smart- and sneaky about it- but you’re also impulsive, and _that_ is the part that’s hard to deal with.”  


“Hey, what do you mean 'sneaky about it’?”  


“Isn’t it obvious?”  


Sin sighed. “You’re making me sound like someone bad, though.”  


“But it’s useful- even Valefor said that your way of thinking would help us with our job,” Ja'far pointed out. His eyes caught on something red again. “Sin, over there!”  


“I see it this time.” Sin frowned. “…It’s not like a human, is it?”  


Ja'far nodded. “You’re right, I think I saw hind legs and a tail of some kind.”  


“Well, that’s not so bad- we don’t really need to worry about an animal, right?”  


*****  


The red beast continued to stalk them for days. It never quite got close enough to attack them- or for Ja'far to feel confident attacking it- but it was rare for the two of them to go more than a few hours without catching a brief glimpse of it. Considering how worried they already were about Falan or the red-haired girl catching up to them, the red beast was just another threat to make them even more paranoid.  


Ja'far had stopped trying to get any real sleep, and just cat napped a little when he was sure Sin was awake. It was surprisingly difficult, reverting to his old habits after the comparatively lazy months with the Imuchakk, but Ja'far didn’t feel he had much of a choice. Sin was getting less sleep than usual, too, and it was clearly wearing on him. To his credit, he tried not to show it.  


But they finally arrived in the town they’d been waiting for. It was more of a small city, in reality- trade with Mustasim was apparently strong enough to draw in people from all over. And if the two of them had been less exhausted, they would have been more excited by the wide range of people who were walking around.  


Luckily, it didn’t take them long to find a place to stay. “We should stay a few days- we need time to rest and resupply,” Sin said, as he flopped onto the bed.  


“Seems reasonable,” Ja'far agreed, doing his customary check of the room. It seemed fine- not as secure as their room in Imuchakk had been, but good enough. He locked the shutters and sank down next to Sin. “At least that red creature won’t follow us here.”  


“One would hope.” Sin tugged Ja'far down to rest against his chest. “And this place isn’t all that far from Mustasim, so we’ll have a much easier time getting there than we did getting _here,_ I’m sure. Oh, we should get another healing wand while we’re here…”  


Ja'far smiled. “You sound half-asleep already, Sin.”  


“Can’t help it.” He yawned. “Well, if this keeps up, maybe I’ll be as good at going without sleep as you are.”  


“I hope not.” Ja'far pulled a blanket over both of them. “It might be a good skill, but we don’t _both_ need to be able to do it.”  


“Don’t tell me you _like_ watching over me while I’m sleeping.”  


“What does that even mean? Go to sleep, we’re both too tired to make sense.”  


Sin kissed him, long and deeply. “I know, I know. Sleep well.”  


“You, too.” It didn’t take more than a few moments for him to drift off, lulled by Sin’s heartbeat.


	13. Chapter thirteen

They slept for quite a while; even Ja'far slept through most of the morning for once. To neither of their surprise, though, Sin still slept later than he did. As soon as he was out of bed, though, Sin was immediately excited to go out and take a look around. Ja'far found it incredibly weird how some days, it was next to impossible to get Sin out of bed, while others he literally got up the moment he opened his eyes.  


Ja'far rolled into the warm spot where Sin had been, watching him. “We’ll have plenty of time to look around while we resupply,” he said. _Well, even if he lets his guard down, I won’t. It can’t hurt him to relax a little with me around, right…?_  


Leaning down, Sin kissed the base of one of Ja'far’s horns. Ja'far felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine. “True. And we should scout things out to see where the best deals are, right?” Sin suggested, grinning. “Populated areas have always been safe before, Ja'far. We don’t need to rush ourselves.” He kissed Ja'far’s ear, then his neck.  


“You have a point,” Ja'far replied, trying not to let Sin get him flustered. That was obviously not going to work; as Sin’s mouth traveled down his neck, Ja'far’s breath caught in a soft gasp.  


He could _feel_ Sin grinning against his neck. “Of course I have a point.” As if to emphasize this, he nipped at Ja'far’s neck lightly.  


“Sin!” Ja'far protested- not that he wanted Sin to stop, but maybe he wanted him to keep going too _much._ “I thought you wanted to…to go out and…”  


Sin cupped Ja'far’s face, kissing his nose. “We will. You’re bright red, you know.”  


“…So what? It’s just because my skin’s paler than yours.” Ja'far deliberately didn’t meet his eyes.  


“And now you’re pouting.” Sin kissed him. “You know, when I met you, I never thought you’d have such a cute side.”  


“Oh, shut up.” Ja'far emphasized the point by covering Sin’s mouth- and pushing him away with the same gesture.  


Naturally, Sin turned that around on him by capturing his hand and kissing it- each of his fingers, his palm, the inside of his wrist. Ja'far could actually feel himself turning into a blob of mush. “I could find better things to do with my mouth,” Sin offered playfully, lips moving against Ja'far’s skin with the words.  


If Ja'far had been blushing before, that was nothing compared to how red he was _now._ “Sin!”  


“Too forward?” Sin asked, dropping another kiss on Ja'far’s palm.  


“I…um, well, no, it’s just…” Ja'far could have kicked himself for the way he was tripping over his words. “Don’t we…have things we…?”  


Sin smiled. “I guess you have a point. There’s always later, though, if you want to.”  


_Now would be fine…_ “Right! Later! After we’ve…we’ve gotten the things we need to get, then we can…”  


“So you do want it,” Sin said, tilting his head. “I was beginning to wonder, honestly.”  


Ja'far looked down nervously. “…I do, I just…” He trailed off, face burning.  


Gathering him in his arms and pulling him to his chest, Sin nuzzled Ja'far’s hair. “I get it, don’t worry,” he reassured him. “Anyway, let’s go get something to eat, I’m starving.”  


“It’s hard to do when you’re holding me like that.”  


Sin kissed him, slow and sweet and hot. Ja'far felt a little dizzy by the time he pulled away. “I know. But it’s hard to let go of you, you know?” He kissed Ja'far again, just for a moment, before letting him go.  


When Ja'far stood up, he felt almost shaky from…excitement? Nerves? He wasn’t sure which it was. Regardless, when he went over to get a change of clothes, he found he was noticeably not walking in a straight line.  


“You alright there?” Sin asked, amused.  


“…Yes. Shut up.”  


Sin laughed. “Alright, shutting up.”  


It didn’t take them long to get dressed and find something to eat. Then they headed out into the streets. Both of them were more alert than they had been the previous night- Ja'far on the lookout for threats, and Sin simply excited about everything.  


Before, they hadn’t really registered that some of the people walking around weren’t human. Now, though, in the light of day it was clear who was an elf and who was human. The elves were mostly slender, willowy beings, with large, bright eyes, and ears as long and pointed as knives. Sin was staring at them, Ja'far noticed with mild annoyance.  


A flash of red caught Ja'far’s eye. He turned, wondering if it was the girl from before- but it wasn’t. It was a boy- though he looked enough like their mysterious attacker that Ja'far didn’t think he could write it off as a coincidence. Though his hair was much shorter, it was the exact same shade of red- and his eyes were the same, when he glanced over at Ja'far. _They even look about the same age…are they siblings?_ Ja'far wondered.  


“Ja'far?”  


Ja'far glanced at Sin. “Did you see him?”  


“Him who?”  


The boy was gone when Ja'far looked again. “…He was just there. A boy who looked like the girl we fought out on the plains.” He sighed. “That can’t have been a coincidence. We’ll have to be more careful, we can’t assume this place is safe anymore.”  


“Don’t get worked up over it,” Sin said. “Stay alert, but don’t worry too much.” He grinned at Ja'far. “I’m willing to bet they’re hoping to wear us out before we head back out into the open again. But we aren’t going to go along with _that.”_  


Somehow, Sin seemed calmer now- and Ja'far didn’t think it was just a facade, either. The almost manic energy he’d had earlier was toned down. _Don’t tell me he was waiting for this,_ Ja'far thought, confused.  


“Let me know if you see that boy again,” Sin told him. “Or any other familiar faces.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Do you…have a plan?”  


“Several.”  


“You knew something like this was going to happen, didn’t you?”  


“I had a feeling- especially after that creature stalked us across the plains. Animals don’t usually hunt that way. It had to be at least semi-intelligent, or following orders.”  


With a slight smile, Ja'far pointed out, “You know, if you’d told me this sooner it would have saved me some worrying.”  


“Sorry. I wanted a bit more to back it up,” Sin explained. “That way I would know I wasn’t grasping at straws.”  


“That makes sense,” Ja'far conceded.  


“Stop sounding surprised when I do that,” Sin said, laughing.  


“I will when it stops _being_ a surprise.” Ja'far couldn’t quite hide a smile.  


“…Are you teasing me?”  


“Yes.”  


Sin hugged him, grinning. “I knew you were a good choice.”  


They spent most of the day exploring the marketplace- there was so much to it, that they _needed_ most of the day to see all of it. Even Ja'far was amazed by how much there was to see- it wasn’t just elves selling their products, but humans, halflings, gnomes, even a few dwarves. And the range of things being sold was just as great, from foods he’d never heard of to exotic weapons to magic items, and seemingly everything in between.  


Even so, he and Sin both managed to stay focused. Keeping an eye out for trouble wasn’t easy in the crowded market, but Ja'far was reasonably certain no one was following them.  


They stocked up on trail food (the elves and halflings both sold surprisingly tasty rations, which Sin insisted on getting a bunch of), a pair of healing wands, and various other supplies. Ja'far was starting to wonder if they were going to run out of money, but Sin insisted they had enough for everything. And to treat themselves to a few unnecessary things from some of the food stalls.  


“It’s not unnecessary if we enjoy them,” Sin pointed out. “Do you want some?”  


“…Fine,” Ja'far said, sighing. “But no more after this, alright? We have to save what we have left.”  


“I know, I know.” Sin passed him a small paper bag. There were a few diamond-shaped candies, covered in crushed almonds. “Just don’t eat all of them, I want a few.”  


Ja'far tried one. He wasn’t used to eating sweet things, but they tasted delicious. “Too bad, they’re mine now.”  


“What? Oh, come _on!”_  


“You shouldn’t have given me the bag.” Ja'far turned and started walking, heading back towards the inn they were staying at. A flash of red caught his eye- not on street level, either. _If that’s how you want to be…_ “Hold these.” He tossed the bag to Sin, and slipped into an alley. It only took a matter of moments to get up onto a rooftop from there.  


It was the boy from earlier. He looked mildly surprised, seeing Ja'far jump up lightly beside him. Ja'far had his blades in hand, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. “You’re following us, aren’t you?” he asked.  


The redhead just watched him, eyes wary. He was wearing a collar, Ja'far noticed. _Are slaves legal in this area? I thought the elves frowned on them…_  


“Do you actually talk, or am I wasting my breath?”  


“Wasting your breath.”  


Ja'far’s lips twitched up into a smile. “Fair enough. Are you here to fight or spy?”  


“Threaten you, actually.”  


“Go on.”  


“My master wants you to know he and I will be waiting for you when you leave. You can hand over what he wants and he’ll…still kill you, I think.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Noted. Who’s your master?”  


“Ithnan.”  


“He’s new. Who are you?”  


The redhead blinked at him.  


“Do you have a name?” Ja'far asked.  


“…Masrur.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Alright, Masrur. Which side is this ‘Ithnan’ on?”  


Masrur tilted his head, clearly not expecting the question.  


“Is he working with Falan and Wahid?” Ja'far elaborated.  


Masrur nodded hesitantly.  


“Good to know. Thank you.” Ja'far sighed. “Well, you’ve threatened us, so I guess you can go home.”  


Though Masrur looked surprised, he evidently didn’t want to question Ja'far; he had vanished by the time Sin clambered onto the rooftop. “How…did you get up here so fast?” Sin asked, a bit out of breath.  


“Training.” Ja'far sighed, going over to Sin. “Someone named 'Ithnan’ sent his servant to threaten us. Wanted us to know that we’d be attacked the moment we leave the city.” He began to climb down from the roof. “I don’t think he was lying, either- they probably want us to panic. What do you think? Should we try and find a different way out?”  


Sin followed him back down. “Let’s take our time thinking this through,” he suggested. “I want to see if this 'Ithnan’ loses his cool and starts attacking us in the middle of a city full of magicians.”  


“Are you sure about that? What if people get hurt in the crossfire?” Ja'far asked.  


“…True. Hm.” Sin dropped down into the alley. “I guess we shouldn’t take _too_ long, then. But we do want time to rest up and prepare.”  


“Right.”  


They headed back to the inn for dinner. As they headed upstairs for the night, Sin asked, “Do you remember what we talked about this morning? Or did today drive it out of your head?”  


Ja'far blinked at him, confused for a moment. Then he remembered, and he blushed bright red. “I…yes, I remember. Wait, Sin, what if they’re watching this place?”  


“Do you really think they are?”  


“Not really.” Ja'far shook his head. “Not _that_ closely, anyway. Do you really want-”  


Sin kissed him. “I really do. Do you?”  


Ja'far nodded. “…Yes.” He grabbed Sin’s hand and pulled him into their room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a...bonus chapter of sorts that takes place directly after this one. I'll post it separately, once I've got the rest of the chapters I have written uploaded.


	14. Chapter fourteen

The next morning, Ja'far woke up to someone stroking his hair. He blinked slowly awake, savoring the warmth, the way Sin’s arms felt wrapped around him. “Didn’t mean to wake you, sorry,” Sin said softly.  


Ja'far shook his head. “If _you’re_ awake, then I should be, too.” It was the first time he _hadn’t_ woken up first, and it was a bit disconcerting.  


“Don’t worry, it’s still fairly early,” Sin assured him.  


“And we did most of our shopping yesterday,” Ja'far recalled. “What’s the plan for today?”  


Sin kissed one of his horns. “Can’t I just keep you here?”  


Blushing, Ja'far hid his face against Sin’s chest. _“Sin.”_  


“I’m teasing, don’t worry.”  


“Good.”  


“Or am I?”  


“You’d better be.”  


Sin laughed. “I am, promise. Actually, we’re going to be getting the lay of the land today- I want to try and find a way out of here that doesn’t lead us straight into an ambush. If we can find a way out that levels the playing field, that would be ideal.”  


“Good idea.” Ja'far pushed himself upright a little reluctantly, shivering at the slight chill against his bare skin. His lower back and hips ached slightly- presumably from last night’s activities. It wasn’t enough to worry about, at least.  


Before he could get out of bed, though, Sin caught him and tugged him close again, kissing down the back of his neck and along his shoulders. “I love your freckles. Have I mentioned that yet?”  


“You seem to love a lot of things about me,” Ja'far commented, smiling. “It’s baffling.”  


“It shouldn’t be.” Sin let go of him with a sigh. “Alright, let’s get cleaned up and head out.”  


*****  


Some time later, they left the inn. “Where do you want to start?” Ja'far asked.  


“I was going to ask you, actually,” Sin admitted. “This seems more like your field of expertise than mine.”  


Ja'far smiled crookedly. “Rooftops and alleys, then?”  


“I guess so. More alleys, probably, I’m not as fast on roofs as you are.”  


“You aren’t bad in trees, though. It’s not _that_ different.”  


By mid-afternoon, they had a reasonably clear idea of the terrain just outside the city. It wasn’t as flat as the plains to the north, and there was some tree cover, assuming they didn’t take the road. They sat down to eat a late lunch and discuss options.  


“Trees are good for you, less so for me,” Sin said thoughtfully.  


Ja'far nodded, swallowing a bite of food before replying. “I doubt this ‘Ithnan’ is going to have _just_ one person with him, though. Probably more assassins or wizards, besides Masrur. If it’s assassins, open ground is better for us.”  


“And with wizards, more cover is better,” Sin agreed. “Right. Ugh.” He dug into his food- giving himself time to think, Ja'far knew. “…We’re most likely to have to deal with wizards. So I guess we should cut through the trees to start with.”  


“Hitching a ride with a caravan would be safest,” Ja'far pointed out- not that he expected Sin to agree to the idea. He just felt as though he ought to suggest it.  


Sin nodded. “Maybe. But we’re not endangering anyone we don’t have to.”  


“I know.”  


There was a hint of red at the edge of Ja'far’s vision. He turned his head to look. “Sin…”  


Sin followed his gaze, raising his eyebrows. “Huh. Okay, let’s see what happens.”  


The redhead from the plains was walking towards them. Next to her was a young man with short, blond hair. There was a short, curved sword thrust into the sash at his waist. His posture suggested nervousness, though he wasn’t showing it on his face. He approached their table and smiled. “Excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt, but…could we talk to you?” he asked.  


“Who are you?” Ja'far asked.  


“Hello again,” Sin said to the redhead.  


The blond rubbed the back of his head nervously. “My name’s Alibaba Saluja. And this is Morgiana. Umm…”  


“Is this about her attacking us before?” Sin asked bluntly.  


“Sorry about that!” Alibaba said quickly. “Um…there’s kind of a lot of stuff going on, and we can’t even talk about all of it, and…”  


“Which side are you on?” Sin asked.  


“Solomon’s.” He sounded like he meant it; Sin and Ja'far shared a look. Ja'far tilted his head slightly, and Sin nodded.  


“We should talk somewhere private,” Sin decided.  


“Um…right! Okay!”  


“Alibaba.” Morgiana put a hand on his arm, giving him a disapproving look.  


He smiled at her. “Didn’t you say they weren’t like the others? We should try talking to them, Morgiana. I think it might help.”  


“But just going with them like that?”  


“What, are you worried?” Sin asked. He smiled. “Don’t worry. We’d prefer not to fight you again if it’s not necessary. There’s plenty of people after us already.”  


Morgiana frowned, but didn’t object out loud. Sin led the group back to the inn- Ja'far kept an eye out to make sure no one was following them. He noticed that Morgiana was doing the same thing. Somehow, that was reassuring.  


Though that didn’t keep him from trying to size _her_ up, too. She was graceful- movements controlled and smooth like a cat. Besides leather guards on her forearms and calves, she wasn’t wearing armor (or shoes, now that he thought about it). Her partner’s armor was light, too, but it at least covered a reasonable amount of him.  


“What are you?” she asked him quietly.  


Ja'far raised an eyebrow. “I could ask you the same thing.”  


She didn’t answer. Unsurprising.  


“…This is an odd question, but…do you have a brother?” Ja'far asked.  


She blinked at him. “…I don’t know. Why?”  


“I saw someone yesterday who looked just like you. His name’s Masrur.”  


“There’s…no one like me. Not anymore. Or so I’ve been told.” There was an odd look in her eyes- sadness, maybe, or hope she was trying to force away.  


Ja'far felt an odd stab of sympathy. “Well, I don’t know if he has the same kind of strength you do. But he had the same eyes and hair.”  


“Whoa, someone who looks like Morgiana?” Alibaba chipped in. “That’s so cool! Where did you see him?”  


“…We have more important things to worry about,” Morgiana pointed out, a little reluctantly.  


Alibaba sighed. “I guess, but it’ll be good to know for…after.”  


“After what?” Sin asked.  


“Just…after,” Alibaba said awkwardly, waving a hand.  


They reached the inn, and headed upstairs to the room. Luckily for all concerned, it seemed someone had been in to clean it recently. Ja'far did his usual room check more quickly than usual, then nodded to Sin. “We’re clear.” He pulled a blanket from the bed, tossing it to Morgiana. “Stuff this under the door, would you?”  


She did. Alibaba said, “Morgiana can warn us if anyone tries to eavesdrop, though. She’s got _ridiculously_ good hearing.”  


“Good to know,” Sin said. He sat down on the bed. “So…talk to us. Who are you? What’s your connection to Solomon?”  


“Why don’t you tell us a few things first?” Alibaba asked. “Like…who are _you?_ We don’t even know your names. And how did you get tangled up in all of this?”  


“I’m Sinbad, and my partner here is Ja'far,” Sin said. “And we got involved more or less by accident. Our understanding of the situation is a little vague, but we have enough information to know that Solomon’s side is the 'good’ one.”  


Alibaba grabbed a chair and sat down. “Okay…well, what do you know? Maybe we can fill in some gaps for you,” he offered. He looked earnest.  


Sin glanced over at Ja'far, questioning. Ja'far shrugged- Sin was better at reading people still, after all. With a slight smile, Sin turned back to Alibaba. “Alright.” He relayed the basic summary of what they’d been able to piece together, leaving out just _how_ they’d learned most of it- and Ja'far’s background.  


“You were right,” Alibaba said to Morgiana, smiling with relief. “They do have him.”  


“Him?” Ja'far asked, raising an eyebrow.  


Shifting uncomfortably, Alibaba said, “Um…the stone.”  


“So there really _is_ a person in here,” Sin confirmed.  


Morgiana nodded. “So…can we _please_ have him back?”  


“Who is he?”  


“We…can’t tell you.” Alibaba rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry. There’s a spell, and it’s apparently impossible to tell you much about it.”  


“Will you give him to us or not?” Morgiana asked.  


“What would you do if I did?” Sin asked. “Can you undo the spell?”  


Alibaba sighed. “…The person who _should_ be able to can’t even touch the stone. But I’m sure we can find someone!”  


“See, that was our plan, too,” Sin explained. He smiled at Morgiana. “That’s why we’re here- we were going to take this stone to the elves, over in Mustasim, and see if they could undo the spell. We want answers, and a way to solve all of this. What if we joined forces?”  


Morgiana shared a look with Alibaba- she was clearly dubious, but he seemed relieved. Alibaba turned to Sin with a smile. “You’ll really help us?”  


“It’s as much you helping us as us helping you,” Sin replied. “We’ve been attacked on the road a lot, like I mentioned.”  


“This is great, though!” Alibaba grinned. “You have a plan, and Morgiana and I have been looking for him for so long, and…”  


Sin smiled. “Alright, Alibaba. Take it easy.”  


“Right, right! Sorry, I’m just…” Alibaba shook his head. _“Relieved._ Anyway. Elves. Their homeland isn’t far at all, right? Only a week or two on foot.”  


“Right.” Sin leaned back, looking at Ja'far. “Though maybe you should fill them in on the 'Ithnan’ thing.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Do either of you know him?” he asked.  


“Not like some of the others,” Alibaba said. “But he’s…well, another wizard.”  


“Same as Falan and Wahid, then.”  


“Well…a _lot_ of the people involved with this are wizards,” Alibaba said. “Solomon studied magic with them, before he became a god. Long story, and I think some of it’s off limits.”  


“But some of them hate him now? Or did they always?” Sin asked.  


Alibaba frowned. “No… some things happened, and I guess they blame him for it in part? And then he became a god, and that made them even angrier.”  


“I feel like this would be a _very_ interesting story, if we could hear all of it,” Sin commented.  


Ja'far sat down on the bed next to him. “Probably. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Ithnan. Someone serving him made contact with us, to threaten us and try to make us hand over the stone- they plan to attack us on our way out of town.”  


“They _warned_ you?” Alibaba asked.  


“Intimidation, presumably,” Ja'far replied. “Their usual tactics aren’t working, so they want to try new ones, I’m guessing.” He met Morgiana’s eyes. “The person who looked like you was the one who issued the threat. His name’s Masrur. I don’t know if he’s serving Ithnan willingly- he was wearing what looked like a slave collar.”  


Morgiana’s eyes narrowed, and she nodded. “…I’d like to talk to him. When we fight Ithnan.”  


“If he’s a Fanalis, you’re the only one who’s going to be able to take him on,” Alibaba pointed out with a smile. “Maybe we can free him, too.”  


“…I hope so,” Morgiana said, smiling slightly.  


“So…what _are_ Fanalis, anyway?” Sin asked. “I’ve never heard of them before.”  


Morgiana nodded. “…It’s not surprising. We’re from the southern continent, originally. And there’s almost none of us left.”  


“They’re a warrior tribe,” Alibaba explained. “Super strong, and super fast. As, um, I guess you figured out…” He chuckled nervously. “Anyway, they can-”  


“Can we talk about it later?” Morgiana asked. “We still…”  


_Don’t trust us, apparently._ Ja'far smiled slightly. _Well, it’s not unreasonable._ “I think we ought to decide what route we’re taking out of the city. That’s what Sin and I were discussing before the two of you approached us.”  


Sin nodded. He smiled, lightly bumping his shoulder against Ja'far’s. “Way to keep us on track,” he said playfully.  


“One of us has to,” Ja'far replied. “It’s obviously not going to be you.” To Alibaba and Morgiana, he said, “We were debating whether to cut through the woods, or to risk the road. I think we’ll run into Ithnan either way, so it’s just a question of which terrain is more advantageous for our group. What do you two think?”  


Alibaba rubbed the back of his head. “Um…well, Morgiana can do anything, so I guess it’s just me to worry about… I’d be better off out in the open, myself.”  


“Same here,” Sin agreed. “Though going through the forest gives us cover against spells, and we’re less likely to get anyone else out on the road caught up in this.”  


“That’s true,” Alibaba said.  


Ja'far frowned. “If both of you would fight better on the plains, though, we can make that work. We need all the advantages we can get.”  


Morgiana nodded. “It would be better to be in the open.”  


“We’ll just make sure to keep our distance from other travelers,” Ja'far said.  


“Alright. It’ll probably be best to leave early, then,” Sin decided. “Are the two of you supplied? If so, we can leave early tomorrow morning.”  


“We can go whenever you need us to,” Alibaba said.  


Sin nodded. “Good. Meet us at the southeast gate an hour before dawn, then.”  


Ja'far stared at him. “…There is no way you’re getting up that early.”  


“No, but you will.”  


“And if I wake you up that early, you’ll complain for _hours._ I know you.”  


Grinning suggestively, Sin replied, “Well, that depends on _how_ you do it.”  


_“Sin!”_ Ja'far glared at him. The effect was probably diminished by how much he was blushing, unfortunately.  


Sin laughed, of course. “What?”  


_Well, now_ they _probably know about us…well, I guess if we’re on the same side, it isn’t a problem…? Probably?_ Ja'far sighed. “Anyway. Tomorrow morning.”  


Alibaba stood and nodded. “Alright! We’ll meet up with you then. C'mon, Morgiana, let’s finish getting ready.”  


“Mmhm.” Morgiana pulled the blanket from under the door, folding it quickly and handing it to Ja'far.  


Once the two of them had left (and after he felt a reasonable amount of time had passed for Morgiana to be out of earshot), Ja'far turned to Sin. “…You’re sure about this?”  


“I’m sure.” Sin tilted his head. “Why wouldn’t I be? Morgiana’s strong, and I’m sure we can trust the two of them to do the right thing.”  


“True.” Ja'far sighed. “You’re right, I just…”  


Sin caught his hand. “Sorry. I should’ve talked to you before just inviting them to join us, shouldn’t I?”  


“No, it’s fine. I trust your judgment. Usually.” Ja'far interlaced their fingers. “…I do have a question, though.”  


“What?”  


“Why _didn’t_ you give them the stone? Even after we decided to collaborate?”  


Sin blinked. “I…” He shook his head, fingers tightening against Ja'far’s. “…I don’t know. I guess I’m used to having it, now. Maybe I should have, I get the feeling that Morgiana would have trusted us more if I’d handed it over. Though there’s no reason not to hold onto it for now, if we’re teaming up, I guess.”  


Something was off. Sin wasn’t lying, Ja'far could tell. But there was something… _wrong._ He didn’t like that Sin seemed confused by his own actions, that wasn’t like him at all.  


_We need to get this stone to the elves as soon as possible,_ Ja'far thought uneasily. _Before this situation gets any stranger._


	15. Chapter fifteen

The streets were empty at this hour. Ja'far was alert for any threats, even if Sin was half-asleep on his feet. It still felt like a miracle that he’d been able to get Sin out of bed and moving at all, to be honest. Asking for alertness on top of that was probably too much, at least before they left town.  


Alibaba and Morgiana were waiting for them at the gate. Ja'far smiled- they both looked ready and eager to move.  


“Morning!” Alibaba said, smiling as they approached.  


“Good morning.” Ja'far elbowed Sin lightly. “Come on, we’re at the gates. Wake up already.”  


Sin groaned. “Alright, alright…” He sighed deeply. “Everyone ready to go?”  


“We’re ready,” Alibaba said firmly.  


“You were the one who didn’t look ready,” Ja'far pointed out.  


“Ssh.” Sin straightened, golden eyes becoming more alert. “Alright, everyone. Keep a sharp eye out- don’t forget the skies, our enemies seem to like flying. Let’s go.”  


They headed out onto the road. Everyone was fairly quiet, and not just because of the early hour. Alibaba looked nervous, with his gaze darting frantically about. Sin was on edge, too, but he hid it far better; Ja'far suspected the other two had no idea. Morgiana was harder to read- she was certainly alert, but if she was worried about the upcoming battle, she didn’t show it at all. Ja'far was impressed. For someone so young, she was certainly stoic.  


Dawn had barely broken when the clouds began to gather overhead, dark and ominous. Ja'far could feel his skin prickle. _That doesn’t feel natural…_ “Sin, do you feel that?”  


“Yeah. That’s not good.” Sin frowned and surveyed the ground around him. “We’ll make our stand here.”  


Morgiana nodded. “That doesn’t smell like a normal storm.”  


Alibaba drew his sword, turning so he stood back-to-back with Morgiana. “It blew up too quickly for a normal storm, too. Gods, I hope it doesn’t rain acid or something.”  


“Alibaba, stick with me,” Sin said, drawing his sword as well. He pulled one of the healing wands out of his pack, holding it in his off hand. “Morgiana’s going to be busy with Masrur, remember?”  


“Oh, right.” Alibaba edged over to Sin.  


“Ja'far, now would be a good time to disappear,” Sin said.  


Ja'far knew what he meant, of course. But he was reluctant to use the ring- after all, the fewer targets there were, the more likely they were to attack Sin. “But-”  


“No buts. Didn’t you say yesterday that we needed all the advantages we could get?”  


“…You’re right.” Ja'far sighed. _And I hate that you’re right…_ He twisted the ring on his finger, vanishing from sight.  


Alibaba gasped. “What the-”  


“He’s still here, don’t worry.”  


Ja'far loosened the wires around his arms. _As if I’d leave him, especially at a time like this…_ He held his blades at the ready.  


Only a few minutes passed before their opponents arrived. Wahid floated down from the sky, alongside a green-haired man who could only be Ithnan- annoyingly, they stayed just out of reach. Masrur leapt off one of the several flying carpets; his red eyes widened when he saw Morgiana. There were others; more wizards and assassins, who landed and surrounded the group.  


Ithnan spoke first. “This is your last chance, Sinbad. Hand over the stone, and you can still walk away from this with you life.”  


“Really?” Sin replied skeptically. “You _really_ won’t kill us?”  


“Not you, anyway. Your talents could prove useful to us.”  


Sin laughed. “That’s pretty bad, as far as incentive goes.” He took a step forward, grinning. “You _really_ think I’d work with you? Especially if you killed the others?”  


“Less willing servants have become loyal to me,” Ithnan replied with a shrug.  


For some reason, Wahid looked uncomfortable. “Ithnan…”  


“I know you don’t like it, but someone like him could be useful.”  


“Too bad for you. I’m not going to hand it over, and you’re not going to take us down,” Sin said.  


Ja'far took advantage of the distraction Sin was causing. He snuck up to the wizards on the ground, his movements silent as a cat’s. The first warning they had of his presence was when two of them fell to the ground, throats slashed open.  


No fewer than a dozen spells whizzed around him; only three hit. They didn’t hurt, but Ja'far found he was visible again. Fire and ice and lightning gathered in the hands of the remaining wizards. He leapt in, grabbing one of the wizards and using him to absorb the spells that were being flung at him.  


“So he was here after all…” Wahid threw shining red dust into the air, and a cage of energy appeared around Ja'far- and several of the wizards unlucky enough to be near him. “Let’s see you get out of _that.”_  


“Ja'far!”  


“I’m fine!” Ja'far jammed a blade into one of the trapped wizards. He tried shocking the bars with his knives, but that didn’t seem to affect them. _Not good._ “Stay focused out there!”  


Morgiana punched the bars, which crackled but held firm. She scowled. “…Stronger than I thought.”  


“You’re supposed to focus on Masrur,” Ja'far reminded her, as he took down another trapped wizard. He ducked as a bolt of lightning flew at his head.  


“In a second.” She kicked the bars, with such force that everyone in the cage staggered. The bars cracked, then shattered as she kicked them again. “You’re welcome.”  


Ja'far smiled. “Thanks.” He stabbed a wizard who looked like she was preparing to attack Morgiana. Most of them seemed to be focused on him, though- and it was very clear why.  


Masrur landed where Morgiana had been a moment before, hitting the ground so hard that it cracked. He stared at her in confusion. “What are you? Why do you look like me?”  


“I’m a Fanalis,” Morgiana said, settling into a fighting stance. “The same as you.”  


Masrur threw another punch, but she blocked it. “I thought I was the only one.” Then their limbs were moving in an outright blur; even Ja'far couldn’t keep up with their punches and kicks and blocks.  


“I thought so, too. Please tell me- why are you working for him?!”  


Ja'far dodged a bolt of lightning. _Too close- I can’t let myself get distracted._ He glared up at Wahid. “Going to stay up there until you’re out of spells?”  


“Maybe I will.” Wahid grinned. “We’ll be rid of you this time.”  


“I don’t think so.” Ja'far ducked under a bolt of ice, stabbing the wizard responsible. “Pity Falan’s not here. We could end all of you at once.”  


Lightning struck him, and Ja'far collapsed. He pushed himself up slowly, gritting his teeth against the pain.  


“Like _hell_ you’ll touch her.” Wahid’s voice was full of barely controlled venom.  


Ja'far rolled out of the way of another lightning bolt. _Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned her…_ He stood, calling his blades to his hands. _It’s not that I don’t understand the feeling, though._  


But even as he was readying himself to attack the wizards he could actually reach, another spell struck him. It was cold, and full of a malice unlike anything Ja'far had ever felt before. No, that wasn’t quite right…he _had_ felt something like this. Back in the cave, when the chain devil had attacked him.  


Absolute agony wracked his body, and he distantly heard himself scream.  


“Dammit, Ithnan! Stop using those spells, you’re going to kill yourself!” He heard Wahid’s voice over the ringing in his ears.  


“Don’t underestimate me.”  


“You think Setta would have wanted you to do this?!”  


“How the hell would you know what he’d want? He’s _dead,_ remember?”  


Ja'far pushed himself up, hating how his arms were shaking. Something slammed into him- another spell- but it barely hurt, compared to the one from before.  


Flames danced in his vision, and lightning sparked all around him. Ja'far blinked and shook his head to clear his vision. Alibaba was in front of him, sword sheathed in flames, keeping their enemies at bay. Sin knelt besides him, touching the wand to his arm. “What…was that?” Ja'far asked, relaxing slightly as the pain faded.  


“I didn’t see it, I just heard you scream,” Sin replied. “You okay?”  


Ja'far nodded, letting Sin pull him to his feet. “Sorry. That caught me off guard.”  


“Don’t scare me like that.” Sin let him go to attack an approaching wizard. “We need to stop Wahid and Ithnan. Especially Ithnan.”  


Alibaba stepped back to join them. “It’s going to be hard if they don’t come down here, though.”  


“We’ll find a way around it.”  


The ground trembled under them- everyone was momentarily distracted by the fight between the two Fanalis, which had once again cracked the earth. Masrur stood in the middle of a crater, with Morgiana’s foot in his grasp. As the others watched, he threw her- she righted herself in midair, and landed with surprising grace.  


“You’re better than this!” Morgiana informed him.  


“Because I’m a Fanalis?”  


“No, because you’re a person!” She pounced again- there was really no better word, she jumped like a predator more than a human- knocking him to the ground. _“No one_ should have to be a slave.”  


Masrur kicked her off of him. “You don’t know-”  


“I know more than you think!”  


There was a distinctive rattling of metal from above, and black, spiked chains descended from the sky. They formed a wall around Ja'far, Sin and Alibaba before any of them could get out of the way. The three of them backed away from the wall. “…That’s not good,” Sin commented warily. “Serves us right for getting distracted.”  


“You may be wrong, there.” Ja'far closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “Be careful, I’m sure they want to use the confined space to throw spells at us- like fish in a barrel.”  


“What are you-?”  


Ja'far jumped up, easily finding handholds within the wall of chains. He climbed easily; the chains seemed to recognize him, almost. It wasn’t as difficult as he’d thought to avoid the viscious spikes, either. _I guess there’s at least_ one _advantage to being descended from a chain devil…_  


Lightning and ice rained down- like he’d thought, Wahid was raining spells down on them from above. Ja'far didn’t bother dodging the shards of ice; even though they cut him, it wasn’t enough to slow him down. He got to the top of the wall quickly, balancing precariously on the chains.  


“You…how are you _doing_ that?” Ithnan asked, frowning at him.  


Ja'far called his blades to his hands. “It’s called climbing. Don’t you wizards have legs?”  


“No one should be able to climb those. They’re _cursed,_ that’s why I used that spell.”  


“Curses won’t stop me.” Ja'far jumped, stabbing Ithnan in the chest and knocking him out of the air.  


They fell together to the ground, Ja'far cushioned somewhat by the wizard beneath him. Ja'far stood quickly; the pain wasn’t that bad, thankfully. On the other hand, it wasn’t likely Ithnan was getting up for a while after _that_ fall, even if he was still breathing. _Now, where’s Wahid…?_  


A pair of knives plunged into him from behind. Ja'far stumbled forward, mentally cursing his own stupidity. _Of course there were assassins left. How stupid am I?!_ He twisted his ring and turned himself invisible again. He had to move quickly; even if the other assassins couldn’t see him, they would probably still be able to find him, whether by blood or footprints.  


So he ran, putting some distance between himself and the assassins. As he went, he pulled the knives out of his back. There was some consolation in the fact that the wall of chains was disappearing. _I hope they’re alright…_  


There were only a few wizards left on the ground. Ja'far finished them off before the chain wall came down. _Just assassins and Wahid to worry about…good._ He returned to visibility, hurrying over to join Sin and Alibaba.  


Both of them looked the worse for wear, but they were still standing. Sin was healing Alibaba as Ja'far reached them. “How did you climb those? They stabbed the hell out of us when we tried to follow you,” Alibaba said, showing Ja'far a shredded hand- though it healed even as Ja'far watched.  


“I’ll explain later,” Ja'far promised. “Ithnan’s down for the moment. Where’s Wahid?”  


“He vanished,” Sin replied. “Maybe he’s invisible?”  


Ja'far scowled. “I don’t like it when other people do that.”  


“Seriously. Let’s get the other assassins in the meantime, it doesn’t look like anyone’s backing down.”  


Ithnan dragged himself upright. He pointed, dark energy gathering around his hand.  


Alibaba froze, eyes widening. Then he stared down at his hands, dropping his sword in horror. “No…no!” he screamed. “What did…no, make it stop!” He clutched at his stomach, staring down at himself. “Someone, help me!”  


“Alibaba! What’s happening?” Ja'far reached out to steady him.  


“Everything’s rotting, can’t you-” Just as suddenly as he’d started screaming, Alibaba collapsed, unconscious.  


“What the hell?” Sin tried the wand, but nothing happened. “Why is he…?”  


A hand grabbed Ja'far from behind. Before he could turn, he felt a rush of negative magic course through him. He cried out in pain, crumpling to the ground. His body felt as though he’d been crushed… He looked up, seeing Ithnan standing over him. “Those wounds you inflicted- go ahead and take them back,” Ithnan said, sneering.  


“You-!” Sin raised his sword to attack, but Ithnan pointed at him. Sin screamed, dropping his sword and falling to the ground. Ja'far could see him shaking uncontrollably, could only guess at the pain Sin was feeling.  


“Stay down,” Ithnan said. He turned back to Ja'far. “Those idiots…they really couldn’t see how much use you would be, did they? As long as I render you properly loyal to us, you’d be perfect.”  


Ja'far glared at him, struggling to his knees. “…What did you do to them?” _I’m going to tear you limb from limb, you bastard…_  


“Not your problem. Now, let’s see what it takes to make you my loyal servant…” Ithnan reached out, touching Ja'far’s forehead. Dark energy gathered at his fingertip.  


The world swam around Ja'far, and he could feel something force its way into his mind. That something was invading, reaching deep inside his soul, his memories. Everything that made him himself, that poisonous touch was there, digging through it, exposing it, violating it. Screaming would have been inadequate.  


_“That love and loyalty…heh, should have known. I’ll just erase your memories of him, and direct that loyalty towards me. Or Arba, she could use you.”_ Ithnan’s voice was inside of his head as much as it was in his ears, like claws tearing at his core.  


Ja'far tried to move, tried to pull away. But he couldn’t, he was frozen in place. _Sin…stop him,_ he thought desperately.  


_“He can’t help you. By the time he can move again, you won’t remember why you cared about him so much. And you won’t even realize anything’s changed.”_  


Then, suddenly, the pressure eased, and Ithnan’s presence was uprooted from his mind with a sickening yank. Ja'far blinked, disoriented, wondering why he was lying on the ground, why his vision was so blurry…  


_“Don’t you fucking dare touch him again.”_  


Ja'far wiped his eyes and looked up. _Was that…Sin, just now?_ he thought.  


Sin stood between him and Ithnan. His hands were unsteady, and the point of his sword shook- from pain or rage, Ja'far couldn’t really tell. Blood dripped from a deep cut across Ithnan’s chest. Ithnan touched his hand to the cut, staring at the blood staining his clothes. “…Just who do you think you are, anyway? You don’t know a damn thing about this, and still-”  


“I know enough!” Sin held up his sword. Lightning struck the blade, and he threw the magic at Ithnan, staggering him. “You’re monsters, with no regard for anyone but yourselves.” He held out his wand hand, and ice began to form along Ithnan’s limbs. “You tried to break his mind, and I’m going to make you _pay_ for that!”  


Ithnan pointed his staff at Sin. “Just a little change. He’d have been better off on our side.” He launched a bolt of black energy, which hit Sin’s arm.  


“Ithnan, you have to retreat! You’re going to get yourself killed, moron!” Wahid tried to grab him, to pull him away from the fight.  


But Ithnan swung his staff, loosing another bolt of black energy. This one tore straight through Wahid’s chest, sending him skittering off like a rag doll. Ithnan stared, seeming appalled by his own actions.  


With a monumental effort, Ja'far pulled himself to his feet. He called his blades to his hands, the familiar steel helping to steady him.  


“Stay back, Ja'far.” Sin’s voice was oddly cold.  


“Huh?”  


Sin pointed his sword at Ithnan. Ja'far could feel power building along the blade, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. _Since when did Sin have magic like this…? Is this what Baal and Valefor blessed him with?_  


Spheres of flame erupted from Sin’s blade, shooting forward to explode around Ithnan. Even from as far back as he was, Ja'far had to shield his face from the intense heat. There was no way Ithnan could possibly dodge something like that; it took mere moments for him to be reduced to ash.  


“Sin…?” Ja'far asked, voice smaller and more shaken than he wanted to admit.  


Sin turned around, dropping his sword and wand and pulling Ja'far into a painfully tight embrace. “Are you okay? I heard him say what he was trying to do to you…”  


Ja'far shook his head. He buried his face against Sin’s neck, holding him tight. _He was going to take you away from me, take who I_ am _away from me…how could I possibly be okay?_ “Are you alright?” he asked, glad his voice sounded less shaky when it was muffled.  


“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” Sin whispered, stroking his hair. “You’re safe, he’s gone.”  


“Alibaba!” Morgiana’s alarmed voice jolted Ja'far back to reality. He pulled away from Sin to see her kneeling beside Alibaba’s unconscious body. “Alibaba, wake up!”  


“I think he’s just knocked out,” Sin said gently.  


She looked up. “…What did he do to him?”  


“He made him see something that wasn’t real,” Masrur said, walking up to join them. He frowned at the ground. “…He used that one a lot. Your friend should wake up soon. Freaked out, not hurt.”  


Morgiana sighed, relieved. “…Thank the gods. I can carry him, if we’re moving now.”  


“Let’s give him a minute to wake up,” Sin suggested. He approached Masrur, careful to put himself between the Fanalis and Ja'far. “So…what about you?”  


“What?”  


“There’s no reason for you to fight us anymore, right?”  


Masrur nodded. “That spell he tried to use on Ja'far- I think he used it on me,” he said slowly. “I recognized it somehow. At least I don’t feel any more loyalty now that he’s dead.”  


Sin stared, horrified. “He altered your memories?” he asked, disbelieving. “But you’re just a kid, why would he…?”  


“He needed a Fanalis.”  


“Gods,” Sin whispered. He shook his head. “Do you have anywhere to go?”  


“I don’t know. The only memories I have are the ones he gave me.”  


Sin turned to Ja'far. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” Ja'far nodded. “Right. Do you want to come with us until you find something you want to do or somewhere you want to stay? It’ll be dangerous, but you won’t be alone. We’ll look after you.”  


“Please come with us,” Morgiana said earnestly.  


Masrur looked around at them, hesitant. “…I was just fighting you,” he pointed out.  


“I seem to be meeting a lot of people that way,” Sin replied, smiling. “Speaking of fighting, who’s still injured?”  


“Basically everyone,” Ja'far said. “Sin, I’ll be right back.”  


Sin nodded. “Okay, but don’t go too far,” he said.  


“I know.” He had to get away from everyone. Just for a few minutes. Trying not to run, Ja'far put some distance between himself and the rest of the group. Once he was out of immediate sight, his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. Nausea curled through his insides; for a moment, he was sure he was going to throw up.  


Someone was talking quietly, not far from him. Ja'far raised his head sluggishly to look around.  


Wahid was lying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood, talking to someone who wasn’t there. “-lost control in the end after all.”  


_“Ithnan did this?! How could he…?”_ Falan’s voice came from nowhere, with odd tones that didn’t sound natural. A spell, then.  


“You said it, remember? That magic was eating him as much as the need for revenge was,” Wahid replied. He coughed. “…Sorry, beautiful. I’m not going to make it home.”  


_“Dammit, Wahid, you can’t do this to me! Please, don’t leave me behind…”_ Falan sounded on the edge of tears. _“I can’t lose you, too! Just…just hold on a while longer, we can try to get someone to you!”_  


Wahid shook his head. “It’s too late. Falan, babe… you’re going to be alright.”  


_“Don’t do this to me!”_  


“Wouldn’t… _ever_ leave you… if I had a choice,” Wahid replied. “…Take care of the others, yeah? Don’t let Arba… make Ithnan’s mistake.”  


_“…Wahid…”_  


“I love you.”  


There was a muffled sob. _“I love you, too.”_  


The sound of her voice cut off. “…Here…to finish the job?” Wahid called to him.  


Ja'far stood and slowly made his way over. “Want me to?”  


“Heh. It’s fine… I said my goodbyes.”  


Crouching down, Ja'far held his knives to Wahid’s throat. “One question, first. Why are you fighting a god, of all things?”  


“Solomon?” Wahid choked out a laugh, blood spattering his chin. “…He…killed the god…we all grew up with. Took his place. And…and even after all that…he wouldn’t give back what we’d lost…fighting for him…when we were friends.”  


“What you lost?”  


“My kid… and Ithnan’s brother… and a lot of other friends.”  


Ja'far couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy. But it was mild, in the face of everything that had happened. “Do you really think what you’re doing is right?”  


“Right or wrong…it was all we could do,” Wahid replied. “…I know it won’t…bring them back. Least now…I can see them again.”  


“Then go to them,” Ja'far said. He plunged his blades down.  


After a minute, he stood and looked around. His thoughts were sluggish, almost mechanical. _No other enemies left…alright. There’s too many bodies this time to hide them. I should go back to the others, see if they’re ready to move._  


He heard footsteps approaching. Blades in hand, he turned to deal with the next threat-  


“Just me,” Sin said. “Find anything?”  


Ja'far nodded. “Wahid was still alive. Finished him.”  


“Did he say anything?”  


“Solomon took the place of a god they worshiped. That’s their big reason for all this.”  


“Huh. I guess that’s…understandable,” Sin said, doubtful. He frowned, touching Ja'far’s hands gently. “You can put those away. It’s okay. There’s no enemies left.”  


Ja'far looked down. _Right. Those._ He put his weapons away. “…Did Alibaba wake up?”  


“Yeah, he’s fine now. Shaken up, though. Like the rest of us.” Sin sighed, giving Ja'far a worried look. “Is there anything I can do to help?”  


“No.” Ja'far looked away. “…I don’t know.”  


Sin healed him. “First off, I shouldn’t let you run around bleeding and battered that way.”  


“…I forgot I was hurt,” Ja'far said, frowning down at himself. _Which I shouldn’t have, I think one of my ribs was broken…_  


“Why am I not surprised?” Sin hugged him tightly. Ja'far could feel Sin shaking a little- was it nerves or exhaustion, or both?  


Ja'far sighed. “…Sorry.” _I’ve got to snap out of it, I can’t just walk around in a stupor forever…_ “I’m fine now.” Maybe if he said it out loud, that would make it true.  


“You sure?” Sin asked dubiously.  


“For now, anyway.” He sighed. “I can deal with it later. For now, we have things to do. We need to keep moving, get away from here.”  


“Ja'far.”  


“Hmm?”  


Sin kissed him deeply. “You don’t have to pretend you’re fine, you know.”  


“I know,” Ja'far said, resting his head against Sin’s forehead for a moment. “But I’m going to anyway. At least for now, so I can keep moving. Alright?”  


“Okay.” Sin smiled at him, though it was obvious to Ja'far that he was still worried. He laced their fingers together. “I’m here if you need me, though, don’t forget.”  


“If you weren’t, I probably couldn’t do this,” Ja'far admitted. “Come on, let’s head back to the others.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ithnan's spells come out of the Book of Vile Darkness, a D&D source book for Evil Shit. (everyone else so far has used stuff from the Player's Handbook like sane people, for the record.)
> 
> I do love these characters. really.


	16. Chapter sixteen

After the battle they’d had, it was hard to believe it was still morning. _Early_ in the morning, at that. It felt like such a long time had passed since they had left town. Ja'far could see that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Honestly, Morgiana was the only one who seemed to have much energy left. Then again, she’d also avoided the worst of the magic by fighting Masrur.  


“Should we go back to town to recover?” Sin wondered aloud. “We’re only an hour or so away…”  


Ja'far shook his head. “I don’t recommend it. We need to put some distance between ourselves and this battlefield,” he said. “Maybe we can find somewhere to rest in a few hours, but for now we should keep moving if we can.”  


“Hmm.” Sin studied the group thoughtfully. “Alibaba, how are you doing?”  


“I’m okay!” Alibaba said quickly- and probably not honestly. “Really.”  


Sin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “As long as you’re sure. Masrur, what about you?”  


“I’m good to go.”  


“Alright, alright,” Sin said. He glanced at the other Fanalis, and smiled wryly. “Morgiana, with that look on your face, I know better than to ask… Anyway, it should be safe to follow the road for now, so we can move faster.”  


“The sooner we get to Mustasim, the better for everyone,” Ja'far agreed.  


They set out. Ja'far kept an eye on the others as well as their surroundings- anything to avoid thinking about what Ithnan had tried to do to his mind. Speaking of Ithnan, though… “Masrur?”  


“Hmm?”  


Ja'far tapped his neck. “You don’t need to wear that anymore.”  


Masrur’s hand went to his collar. “Oh…I forgot,” he said. He snapped the metal part holding it together, and took it off. Gingerly, he rubbed at the red mark on his neck the collar left behind.  


“Does that hurt?” Ja'far asked.  


Shaking his head, Masrur said, “Not really.” He looked at the collar in his hand, unsure, before shoving it into his pocket.  


_Why would he want to keep that?_ Ja'far wondered. _Oh well, at least he took it off._  


Sin grinned, ruffling Masrur’s hair. “Feel better?”  


“…You killing Ithnan helped more than that did,” Masrur pointed out.  


“Well, fair enough.”  


As the sun reached the middle of the sky, Sin asked Morgiana, “Would you scout ahead for us? We should eat soon, and probably take a short rest. Find out if there’s anywhere up ahead that’ll be good for that.”  


Morgiana nodded. She handed the pack she was carrying to Alibaba (who nearly dropped it), and walked ahead of the group.  


Then she paused, leaning forward and falling lightly onto all fours. Her form shimmered and stretched and _shifted,_ and suddenly a large, shaggy, red lioness was standing in front of them. Morgiana trotted off as if that was completely normal, oblivious to Sin and Ja'far’s utter bewilderment.  


“That was _her_ stalking us across the plains before?” Ja'far asked weakly.  


Sin turned to Masrur. “Can _you_ do that?” he asked, eyes alight with curiosity.  


Masrur nodded.  


“It’s a Fanalis thing, apparently,” Alibaba said. He grinned. “She’s really amazing, though, isn’t she?”  


“Yeah…” Ja'far smiled. “How did you two end up traveling together, anyway?”  


Alibaba glanced at Masrur. “Morgiana was a slave, too, when we met her. Her former master was trying to capture Aladdin, and I got caught up in it.”  


“Wait…who’s Aladdin?” Ja'far asked, confused.  


“My best friend,” Alibaba replied, smiling a little sadly. “Anyway, we helped her figure out she didn’t need to obey that bastard of a master, and she joined up with us. That was over three years ago, now.”  


“I see.”  


“Come to think of it, we still don’t know much about you… like why you’re on Solomon’s side of things,” Sin commented. “Or is he your god?”  


“Um…kinda?” Alibaba said, scratching his head. “It’s a long story. And kind of weird, and we may not be able to explain all of it because of weird magic.”  


“Well, we’ve got a couple weeks on the road,” Sin pointed out. “And I have to say, I’m really curious about Solomon. What kind of god is he?”  


Alibaba smiled. “Solomon is the god of Vision and Revolution,” he replied. “He supports those who want to change the world for the better- after all, that’s what he was fighting for, even before he became a god.”  


_Sounds a lot like Sin…_ Though Ja'far supposed he was the only one making that connection at the moment; Sin himself seemed oddly lost in thought.  


“How long has he been a god?” Sin asked. “Before all this, I’d never heard of him.”  


“Um…well, around fifteen years, I think,” Alibaba said.  


Morgiana came trotting back. Her form shrank and condensed back into her human shape, and she stood up, dusting off her hands. “I found a good place to stop,” she said. “It’s not far.”  


“Thanks,” Sin said.  


They followed her to a place slightly removed from the road. It wasn’t much, but it was sheltered enough for the moment. Everyone seemed grateful for the chance to sit down. Alibaba and Morgiana started poking through their pack for food. Sin handed a couple ration bars to Ja'far. Ja'far looked down at them for a moment. As much as it went against his training to refuse food, the idea of eating anything genuinely nauseated him at the moment.  


Holding the food out to Masrur, he asked, “Are you hungry?” _I doubt Ithnan fed him enough. And he doesn’t have any supplies of his own, anyway. Well, we definitely have enough to feed him until we get to Mustasim, and we can get more food there, I’m sure._  


Masrur blinked at him, and Ja'far could nearly see the thoughts buzzing through his head. Not surprising; Ja'far could understand being reluctant to accept food from someone. Apparently, though, he was hungry enough to trust Ja'far; he took the food from him with a simple nod.  


“Didn’t you want any?” Sin asked Ja'far.  


“Maybe later.”  


After the group had eaten, the younger members of the group settled down to nap for a little while. Ja'far watched with a slight smile; the boys had both drifted off leaning against Morgiana. Luckily for them, Morgiana didn’t mind- or she’d fallen asleep first, it was hard to tell.  


“Ja'far?”  


Ja'far looked over at Sin. “I’m fine,” he said quietly.  


“Sure you are.” Sin sighed. Making sure to keep his voice down, he said, “I can keep watch, if you want to rest.”  


“I was going to tell you the same thing,” Ja'far replied. “He hurt you pretty badly, too. And you were throwing that magic around, as well as using the wands.”  


Sighing, Sin pulled Ja'far close enough to lean against him. “Believe me, I know. I’m more worried about you, though.”  


“It’s still weird that you worry about me,” Ja'far informed him. He rested against Sin’s shoulder. “…I don’t think he had time to change anything while he was in my head. But I also don’t _know_ he didn’t, and there’s no way I can know.” _No matter how much the Guild hurt me while I was training, at least I was still me. Him going into my head like that…gods._  


Sin held him tightly. “Well…I don’t know if it helps, but if you doubt your memories, talk to me. If it’s something from the time we’ve known each other, then I’ll know.”  


“Well…those are the memories that matter,” Ja'far said softly. “That does help a bit, though. Thanks.” _As much as anything can help right now._  


“Of course.” Sin kissed the top of his head.  


The two of them were quiet for a while, listening to Alibaba snoring and keeping watch over their surroundings. Fluffy, white clouds moved overhead- the heavy clouds from earlier had broken up after the battle. The only movement was the circling of birds back in the direction they’d come from. Vultures, most likely. Better not to think about that. Or…much of anything, really. Ja'far wondered if Sin was trying as hard not to think as he was. “…Sin?”  


“Hmm?”  


“When you killed Ithnan…what _was_ that?”  


“Valefor and Baal’s blessings, probably?” Sin replied, shrugging. “The end of the battle’s kind of a blur. I don’t think I’ve _ever_ wanted to kill someone as much as I wanted to kill Ithnan back there. I keep telling myself I’m going to keep you safe, but no matter how many times I say it, you keep getting hurt- and it’s all things I could prevent, if I was just a _little_ stronger.”  


Ja'far took Sin’s hands in his, meeting those golden eyes firmly. “You’re being stupid,” he said bluntly. “I’m still here, aren’t I?”  


“Well, yeah, but my point is-”  


_“My_ point is, it’s not your fault,” Ja'far said firmly. “Stop beating yourself up over what’s happened to me- they’re _my_ wounds and I’ll deal with them how I choose. Besides, I can fight my own battles- that’s why you wanted me to join you in the first place, right? It’s not that I don’t understand how you feel- I feel the same way when you get hurt. But still.”  


Sin smiled. “Okay, okay. I get it.” He kissed Ja'far’s forehead. “I know you’re strong- trust me, I have _not_ forgotten that. That’s one of the big reasons I love you.”  


Startled, Ja'far pulled away to stare at him. “I…”  


“What?” Sin asked, tilting his head. He looked a little nervous, all of a sudden. “Should I not have said that?”  


Ja'far shook his head. “It’s just…” He leaned back against Sin, feeling a real smile tugging at his lips. Even despite everything, hearing Sin say that (and _mean_ it) made him genuinely _happy._ “…No one’s ever said that to me before. All of these feelings are still so new, and don’t really make sense half the time, but hearing you say that still made me really happy.”  


“Then I guess I’ll have to keep saying it, if you like hearing it,” Sin replied, kissing him for a lingering moment.  


Without opening his eyes, Masrur said, “If you two are going to keep doing that, I’m going to go wait for you up the road.”  


Ja'far turned bright red. Sin, of course, just laughed. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.”  


“You didn’t.”  


Morgiana stirred, rubbing her eyes. “…Is it time to get up?” she asked quietly.  


With a sigh, Sin said, “Yeah, I think we’ve taken a long enough break.”  


“Alibaba, wake up.”  


“Mmmrrr,” Alibaba replied eloquently. “Five more minutes…”  


Morgiana picked him up, placing him on his feet. Alibaba sighed deeply, but remained standing when she let go. _I wish I could do that,_ Ja'far thought, amused. _Things would be so much simpler if I could just drag Sin out of bed in the morning…_  


“A'right, ’m ready to go,” Alibaba yawned.  


“Are you even awake?” Ja'far asked.  


Alibaba nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Kind of, anyway.”  


They moved more quickly for having rested, though everyone was still rather subdued. Ja'far suspected that would take a while to go away. After a while, Alibaba broke the silence. “So what were you two doing up here, anyway? I didn’t think the stone was even on this continent, so I was starting to worry that Ithnan and his crew were leading us on a wild goose chase.”  


“We went to stay with the Imuchakk for a while,” Sin replied. “I’m from the central continent, originally.”  


“Aren’t they giants?” asked Alibaba. “I _think_ that’s what I heard, anyway.”  


Sin nodded. “That’s right. Don’t let their size fool you, though- they’re very friendly, and they were more than happy to teach us all kinds of things. Like how to hunt dragons.”  


“Whoa, really?” Alibaba asked excitedly. He looked over at Ja'far. “…Is he serious? You hunted _dragons?”_  


Ja'far nodded. “He is.” He indicated the dragon tooth tucked into his headband. “This is a tooth from the first dragon we fought, actually. Sin has one, too.”  


“That’s amazing!” Alibaba walked closer to Ja'far to get a better look at the tooth. “Did you carve it yourself? It looks really cool!”  


“Mmhm. It’s traditional,” Ja'far explained. Alibaba looking so closely at the side of his head was a little uncomfortable- it wouldn’t take much for him to notice Ja'far’s horn nubs under the headband. Probably.  


“Why were you fighting dragons?” asked Masrur.  


Sin smiled. “Because I wanted to learn how- that’s why I went to the Imuchakk in the first place; I wanted them to teach me how to fight things that are bigger than I am. I want to be able to protect people, even if it’s from something as big and tough as a dragon.”  


Nudging Morgiana gently, Alibaba whispered, “See, we really _did_ get lucky, having these two get involved.”  


Morgiana nodded.  


“What are you whispering about?” Sin asked.  


Alibaba grinned sheepishly. “Nothing really. We’re just glad it was people like you two who stole the stone.”  


Ja'far snorted. _“I_ didn’t steal anything. That was all him.”  


“Then how did you get mixed up in this?” Alibaba asked, confused.  


“I was sent to kill him,” Ja'far explained, hiding a smile at Alibaba’s shocked look. “But he changed my mind.”  


“You should have seen him when I first met him,” Sin said cheerfully. “He was-”  


Ja'far hastily covered Sin’s mouth. “We’re not talking about that. It’s in the past, so forget it,” he said quickly. “Anyway, the point is, there’s been a lot of luck involved. Maybe Solomon’s able to pull a few strings after all.”  


Morgiana and Alibaba shared a look. “Maybe,” Alibaba said. “Either way, let’s hope things continue going well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is all that I've posted on tumblr so far. updates are every monday (so you'll get one tomorrow!), and I've been good about it so far!


	17. Chapter seventeen

_Ithnan had a hold over his mind. Ja'far couldn't struggle, couldn't move, couldn't do_ anything _to stop him. Everyone else was lying on the ground- some unconscious, some already dead. Morgiana and Alibaba, bodies burnt and barely recognizable; Masrur, a bloody mess with almost a dozen blades still stuck in his body, but somehow breathing; Rurumu and Hinahoho, impaled on their own weapons; Sin, gravely wounded, lying in a puddle of his own blood and still struggling to get up..._  


“You should never have gone with him,” _Ithnan said._ “If you'd stayed with your Guild, at least your mind would have remained yours. And at least some of them might have survived.”  


_Something grabbed him-another enemy?- and suddenly, impossibly, he could move again. Ja'far lashed out, grabbing whatever it was-_  


_“Ja'far!”_  


Ja'far blinked, vision coming into focus. His eyes widened as he realized he was holding Alibaba's arm in such a way that he couldn't escape, and had one of his blades at the blond's throat. Hastily, he let Alibaba go and scooted back. “I'm sorry!”  


Letting out a sigh of relief, Alibaba rubbed at his arm. “Sheesh, that must've been some nightmare...”  


“I didn't hurt you, did I?” Ja'far asked. “I'm _so_ sorry...”  


“I'm fine,” Alibaba assured him. “You startled me, that's all.”  


Ja'far heard someone approach- he turned towards the sound, hands tightening on his blades, before he realized it was Sin. With a sigh, he forced his hands to relax. “...It's been too long since the last attack,” he muttered.  


“Yeah, Sinbad was saying that, too,” Alibaba agreed. “But I don't know, they _did_ lose two of their most powerful members. We might be in the clear for a while longer.” He paused. “...Is that why you're so on edge?”  


“Maybe...” Ja'far looked over at Sin as he rejoined them.  


Sin frowned at him. “What are you doing up?”  


“Nightmare.”  


“Ohhh, that's what that noise was. Alibaba, you tried to shake him awake, didn't you?”  


“Yeah...not gonna try _that_ again.”  


“Just call his name. Even if you're quiet, he usually wakes up.”  


Alibaba nodded. “Okay, I'll keep that in mind.”  


Sin sat down next to Ja'far. “Dawn's still pretty far off. You should go back to sleep,” he said gently, stroking his hair.  


Shaking his head, Ja'far replied, “I'm awake now.”  


Alibaba grinned cheerfully at them. “I'm... going to go take a look around. I'll be back in a sec, okay?”  


“Alright. Be careful.” Once he was out of earshot, Sin pulled Ja'far in for a kiss. “Another nightmare about Ithnan?” he asked quietly.  


Ja'far nodded. “...Yeah.”  


“Want to talk about it?”  


“Not really...”  


Sin sighed. “If you say so.” He picked up Ja'far's blanket, draping it around him. “You haven't really been sleeping much, have you? I know you're on edge, but still...”  


“I'll be fine.” Ja'far leaned against Sin and pulled his blanket around himself more tightly. “I can handle sleeping less than the rest of you, remember?”  


“I know.” Sin sighed. “I just want to make sure it's you being nice and taking watches for everyone else, and not you being too upset to sleep thanks to that monster.”  


Ja'far smiled. “...I'm not 'nice', I'm being practical.”  


“Sure you are. You're so practical, you keep slipping Masrur extra food,” Sin teased. “I'm on to you, Ja'far. You really are a good person.”  


“And whose fault is _that?”_  


“Rurumu's, probably.”  


“Well, that's true. Yours too, though.”  


*****  


It had been a week since they had fought Ithnan and Wahid outside the city. Ja'far was keeping watch alongside Masrur. The Fanalis was usually quiet, but that night he hadn't said a word since dinner. Not that Ja'far was feeling all that talkative, himself- he felt as though someone was watching them. Neither was inclined to stray far from their campsite to patrol that night; Ja'far was somehow relieved that Masrur seemed as uneasy as he was.  


The Fanalis was pacing around their campsite, quietly surveying the too-quiet plains around them.  


“Do you smell something?” Ja'far asked finally.  


Masrur shook his head. “That's the problem. It's like you- I know when you're there, but my nose doesn't agree.”  


Not the most reassuring answer. Ja'far frowned at their campfire. _If it weren't for Sin and Alibaba, I'd put that out. But if we're attacked, those two wouldn't be able to see without it. Well, Sin does have those goggles, I suppose._ He looked out at the plains, scanning for anything at all.  


There was a flicker of movement, a faint gleam of starlight on metal.  


Ja'far let out a silent sigh of relief. “I see one of them,” he said softly. “I'm going to wake the others.”  


“About time. Want me to take care of them?”  


“Stay here. We don't know how many there are.” Ja'far knelt down beside Morgiana. “Morgiana, wake up. Enemies.”  


The redhead blinked awake, sitting up quickly. Next to him, Alibaba stirred, opening his eyes sleepily. “Is it our watch already?”  


Ja'far shook his head. “No. We have company, though, so you should wake up anyway.”  


“...Oh.” Alibaba stood, grabbing his sword. “Where...?”  


“They're still hidden. Stay together.” Ja'far went to Sin last. “Sin. There's enemies out there, get up.”  


Sin rolled over. “No there aren't,” he mumbled. “You're bein' paranoid.”  


Ja'far sighed. “I am not. Don't be difficult, or do you want me to save them the trouble...?”  


“So mean...” Sin sat up with a yawn. He drew his sword. “How many?”  


“Can't confirm, they're hidden out on the plains.”  


“Probably assassins, then. The wizards usually just start blasting away.” Sin stood. “Any ideas, Ja'far? You're the expert, here.”  


“They'll move now, to try and get in an attack before we have a chance to prepare. Say...now,” Ja'far replied, throwing his blades out into the darkness. He missed, but not by much- one of the assassins had crept close, and had to dodge in a hurry.  


That signaled the other assassins, who launched their own attacks. Ja'far wished he was surprised by their numbers, but at this point, he couldn't be. _They aren't all from the Guild, either- I can tell,_ he thought. He yanked the legs out from under someone who was getting too close to Sin, stabbing them before they hit the ground.  


“Why are there so many?!” Alibaba asked.  


“Because the last time they sent _one_ person after me, I convinced him to join me?” Sin suggested. He thrust his sword into the air, calling down lightning from the clear sky. It struck down several of their enemies.  


One of the assassins took advantage of the opening this left, darting in to strike. But before she could get to Sin, Masrur was in the way. Her sword slashed his arm open.  


Before she could do any more damage, Ja'far wrapped one of his wires around her throat and electrocuted her. “Masrur, are you alright?”  


“Fine. Just blocked badly.”  


Sin healed his arm. “Thanks for the save. Try not to get hurt next time, though.”  


“Do you _always_ complain when people save you?” Masrur kicked an assassin in the head; Ja'far was fairly certain that snapping sound was the man's neck.  


“Only when they get hurt,” Sin replied cheerfully. He held out his wand hand, freezing two men in place as they tried to approach.  


A column of flames shot past; Ja'far turned to look. Alibaba was near their campfire, fighting a knot of assailants with his flaming sword. It looked like he was using the campfire to amplify his sword's magic. Clever, Ja'far thought. Morgiana wove around Alibaba's flames with the ease of practice, taking people down easily with her bare hands (and feet- like Masrur, she seemed to favor kicking).  


A sphere of flames exploded nearby, taking down the last of their opponents. _That wasn't Alibaba, who-?_  


“Huh. That's new,” Sin said, sounding pleased.  


“Did you do that?” Alibaba asked.  


“Yeah, somehow.” Sin shrugged. “I guess this is a pretty convenient time to be learning magic.”  


Ja'far frowned. “...That was _your_ magic?”  


“The lightning's from Baal, and the ice feels like Valefor,” Sin explained. “But the fire felt like I was doing it.” He grinned. “I've used some magic of my own before, you've seen it.”  


_Right, when I first met him. But light spells are nothing compared to throwing_ fireballs _around,_ Ja'far thought uneasily. He sighed. “...Anyway, we should get away from this area. I doubt there's going to be a follow-up attack tonight, but...”  


“Agreed.” Sin sheathed his sword. “Let's get packed up.”  


The group packed up camp, and moved along. They hadn't walked far, though, when Masrur stumbled. Morgiana caught his arm. “Masrur?”  


“...I feel dizzy,” he said, surprised.  


Ja'far and Sin exchanged worried looks. Ja'far hurried over to check on him. “When did that start?” he asked.  


“Just a minute or two ago.”  


_I know he's had enough to eat and drink...and he was sleeping before the attack happened, so he shouldn't be overtired,_ Ja'far thought. He reached out, feeling Masrur's forehead. It was clammy, and surprisingly cold. “Sit down for a minute.”  


Masrur blinked at him, confused, but obeyed.  


Ja'far checked Masrur's eyes, then his pulse. _His breathing's labored, too... Oh, no. No, no, no..._ “We're going to need to stop here.”  


“What's wrong?” Sin asked.  


Ja'far stood. “Masrur's poisoned. When he got hurt earlier, that girl's weapon must have been...” He looked around. “Was anyone else injured?”  


“Just bruises, so the rest of us are probably safe. You're sure it's poison?”  


“I've been poisoned enough to remember what it's like,” Ja'far snapped. _Had to build up resistances to them somehow._ “Find somewhere off the road to camp, and make sure Masrur lies down. I'm going back to check something.”  


“I'll go with you,” Alibaba offered. “Just...in case there's anyone waiting for you back there.”  


“Fine.”  


They left at a run. _We really have been lucky so far- I keep forgetting that Sin's wands only work on injuries, not illness or poison. Gods, please let him be alright...he was protecting Sin, he shouldn't have to suffer for that!_  


Ja'far skidded to a halt, looking over the dozen or so bodies scattered around their old campsite. “Okay...it was a girl with dark hair and a shortsword,” he said. Was Alibaba still behind him...?  


As he began his search, he heard Alibaba come up behind him. He was practically wheezing; Ja'far looked up, concerned. “What happened?”  


“You...you run too fast, sorry,” Alibaba replied, bracing his hands against his legs. He gasped for air. “What...how...can I... help?”  


“Find a girl with dark hair and a shortsword. There will be burns on her neck. She's the one we're looking for,” Ja'far replied.  


“...Got it.”  


It didn't take them long to find her. Ja'far picked up her sword. “Check her for any vials, bottles...anything that can hold liquid,” he instucted.  


Alibaba nodded. He began searching her gingerly, obviously trying to touch her as little as possible.  


Ja'far studied the blade. Some blood was smeared along the edge, and there were grooves along the blade that showed signs that poison had been applied to it. He sniffed it, but the scent of blood was too strong to identify anything. Dragging his finger over one of the grooves, he picked up a dark smudge of the poison.  


“What are you doing?” Alibaba asked.  


“Did you find anything?”  


“No.”  


“Didn't think so. Alright. For the record, you should _never_ do this,” Ja'far informed him. He licked his fingertip.  


“Are you _insane?!”_ Alibaba yelped.  


Ja'far spat the poison out. “Blech. No, I'm not. I've studied poisons.” He scowled. “I think I can counter this if I hurry. Come on, let's go back.”  


When they found the others, Morgiana was standing guard. “Did you find anything?” she asked frantically.  


“Yes, we did,” Ja'far assured her. He patted her shoulder on his way over to Masrur. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alibaba hug her.  


Masrur was lying next to a hurriedly built fire, wrapped in blankets, watching him hazily. Sin tended the fire, tension obvious in every movement. “What should we do?” Sin asked.  


“This is a good start,” Ja'far said. “Keeping him warm is good. Morgiana, can I look through your pack?”  


“Go ahead.”  


He began looking through their things- specifically, their rations. “Masrur, are you awake?”  


“Yes.”  


“Good. Stay that way, please.”  


“Do I have to?”  


Ja'far glanced over at him. “Until I give you the antidote, yes.” He took a few dried berries from the pack, then went over to his and Sin's. _This had better work...gods, let this work._ “Sin, can you boil some water for me?”  


“How much?”  


“It doesn't need to be much. Enough to fill a cup, at least.”  


“Got it.”  


Once he'd grabbed a packet of tea from their pack, Ja'far went over to a tree nearby, studying it. _It looks like the right kind..._ He sliced some of the bark off, tasting a strip of it. _Well, it's the closest we're going to get, anyway._ He cut off some more, then brought everything he'd gathered over to the fire.  


“Are you sure this is going to work?” Alibaba asked.  


“It will.” Sin grinned at Alibaba. “Ja'far knows what he's doing. Trust him. I know I do.”  


Ja'far began tearing up the various ingredients and dropping them into the water. Sin's faith in him- and the fact that he was remaining calm in the face of all this- was reassuring. Ja'far felt his own hands grow steadier. “Still with us, Masrur?”  


“Yeah.”  


“Good. This should be ready in a few more minutes,” Ja'far promised.  


Alibaba looked cautiously over his shoulder. “...It doesn't smell as bad as I was expecting medicine to smell.”  


“That's because it has tea in it,” Ja'far explained, stirring it slowly. “And those berries. The bark smells kind of like shoes when it's boiled.”  


“You're making it sound delicious,” Masrur commented dryly.  


Ja'far smiled slightly. “Don't worry, I'm sure it'll _taste_ slightly better than shoes.”  


“Only slightly, huh...”  


The antidote was ready soon; Ja'far strained it and poured it into a flask. He brought it over to Masrur, helping him sit up. “This is going to be hot and it'll taste disgusting,” he said. “Ready?”  


Masrur nodded. He tried the antidote- making a disgusted face after the first sip. “...Mm, shoes. My favorite.” He drank the rest of it without further comment.  


Laying him back down, Ja'far said, “You can sleep now. It'll work without you waiting around for it.” To the others, he said, “I'll stay on watch and keep an eye on him.”  


“I'll partner up with you,” Alibaba said.  


Sin and Morgiana settled in to sleep through the rest of the night. Ja'far stayed near Masrur, letting Alibaba take the more active part of the watch.  


Masrur, surprisingly, didn't go right to sleep. He was watching Ja'far quietly.  


“What is it?” Ja'far asked. “Are you hungry? Sorry, you should wait until the antidote takes effect before you eat or drink anything else.”  


Masrur shook his head. “...That's fine.” He rubbed at his forehead, as if dispelling a headache. “I'm not used to this.”  


“Used to what?” Ja'far asked.  


“People...caring for me. Ithnan never would've worried like this- he'd get angry and dump me on Falan.”  


Ja'far nodded. “I'm not used to it, either.”  


“Says the one giving me extra food, making antidotes...”  


“Don't want me to?”  


“Didn't say _that.”_  


Smiling slightly, Ja'far said, “That's what I thought. It's hard to get used to, though, isn't it?”  


Masrur nodded. “I didn't realize people could really be like this. Or forgotten, maybe.”  


“I didn't know either.”  


“...You remind me of someone, though.”  


Ja'far blinked, confused. “Who?”  


“I'm not sure.” Masrur sighed and curled into the blankets. “...Someone from a long time ago. Maybe Falan, she was kind of nice sometimes when I was younger.”  


“Falan was? Really?” Ja'far asked skeptically.  


Masrur nodded. “She and Wahid were never as bad as Ithnan or Arba. Not sure why.”  


_Because they had each other, maybe,_ Ja'far thought. “Who's Arba?”  


“Their leader.” Masrur shivered. “...I didn't see much of her. Good thing. She smelled like death.”  


Now probably wasn't the time to ask about these things. “Does everyone smell like something to you?”  


“Not you. It's weird.”  


Ja'far smiled slightly. “Probably just as well. What about the others?”  


“Sinbad smells like a lot of things. The wind off the ocean, frost, a storm, something old and dusty...” Masrur shrugged. “Making up for you, I guess. Morgiana smells like home. Alibaba smells like... food, kind of?”  


_Food?_ Ja'far hid a smile. “Do you mean spices, maybe?”  


“...That makes more sense.”  


The conversation dwindled after that; Masrur was tired, after all. Ja'far noticed he seemed to be breathing better, however, as the Fanalis drifted off. _He'll be fine after all. Good._ Ja'far permitted himself a quiet sigh of relief. _We need to be a lot more careful, if we're going to survive long enough to get to Mustasim._


	18. Chapter eighteen

The plains were slowly giving way to forest- not the ancient pine forests of the north, but woods with younger, leafy trees. It was still early spring, so the leaves hadn't quite finished unfolding yet. Even so, there was green all around them. Ja'far had to admit, it looked nice...even if it interfered with visibility.  


Because they were getting closer to the borders of Mustasim, they began to see more people on the roads. Traders, for the most part- caravans full of goods, either on their way to or coming back from the elven kingdom. Ja'far wasn't sure if that was good or bad- on the one hand, there was less chance of them being attacked with so many other people around. But if their enemies _did_ decide to come after them, then there were a lot of innocent bystanders who could get hurt.  


“They haven't attacked us around other people yet,” Sin reassured him for what must have been the hundredth time. At least the other three weren't listening at the moment; Alibaba was talking to a merchant, and Morgiana had followed him...and then Masrur had followed _her._  


“That doesn't mean they won't,” Ja'far replied. They were both repeating themselves- it wasn't getting them anywhere.  


Sin ran a hand through his hair and sighed tiredly. “I won't let my guard down. You know that. But you need to-”  


“Relax?” Ja'far finished for him dryly.  


“I know. You can't, can you?”  


Ja'far shook his head. “Not yet. No. Maybe when we get everyone safely to Mustasim.”  


“When we get to a safe place, I am going to _make_ you relax,” Sin informed him.  


“Is that a threat?” Ja'far asked, a playful smile growing on his face despite himself.  


Sin grinned. “Maybe. Does being made love to sound threatening?”  


Ja'far felt the blood rush to his face, and he hastily glanced over to the others, making sure they were still out of earshot. “It doesn't,” he admitted.  


Gently, Sin traced a thumb across Ja'far's cheek. “Much as I like our new friends, I kind of miss having you to myself,” he commented. “I knew I should have listened to my mom- we should've waited before having kids.”  


“You're being ridiculous,” Ja'far replied, smiling.  


Sin leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. “It made you smile.”  


Ja'far sighed, amused. “I suppose so.” The others were coming back. He stepped away from Sin to meet them. “Find out anything new?”  


Alibaba rubbed the back of his head. “Um...mostly trade stuff. But Mustasim's got a kind of barrier thing up- most people get through it no problem, but it screens for evil magic. So I don't know if the stone's going to get through.”  


“Hmm.” Sin frowned thoughtfully. “Maybe it will, since the pack I have it in is neutral. Might insulate it.” He shrugged. “On the other hand, getting their attention wouldn't be so bad. It would get the stone to people who can help faster. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, either way. Did they say how far out we are?”  


“We should get there tomorrow, as long as we keep up a good pace,” Alibaba replied, smiling.  


“Almost there, huh? Finally,” Sin said, smiling.

******  


Around noon the next day, they reached the barrier. It looked a little like a soap bubble; a faint shimmer of iridescence stretching up into the sky, forming a dome around the woods before them. Everyone stopped a few feet shy of it, wary.  


Sinbad sighed. “Well, we won't know until I try to go through, right?” he asked.  


Walking forward slowly, he held out a hand in front of him, pressing it to the bubble when he got close. Ja'far frowned. _Is something weird about his eyes, or is it the light from the barrier?_ Sin walked through with no trouble, as if the barrier wasn't even there. When he turned around to look back at them, his eyes seemed normal again. “Guess there was nothing to worry about. Come on, let's keep moving,” he said, voice clear despite the barrier between them.  


Morgiana and Alibaba followed him quickly. “Whoa, it's like there's nothing there at all,” Alibaba said, looking over his shoulder.  


Ja'far walked forward, not sure if he was relieved or not. _It's not much of a barrier if the stone could get through it..._ He was brought up short by the barrier, which transformed from a benign bubble into a crackling wall of some kind of bright energy (lightning, maybe) as he drew close to it. He backed up, eyes widening. “That doesn't look good.”  


The crackling faded as he backed away. Masrur walked up to it- he was touching it when the barrier began to crackle again. The Fanalis jerked back in a hurry. “...It doesn't like me, either.”  


“What was _that?”_ Morgiana asked, fists clenching.  


“It didn't do that for anyone else,” Alibaba said, confused. “Why them?”  


Ja'far felt anger burning through him; he understood why the barrier was rejecting them. It wasn't hard to guess, really. The barrier must have sensed his infernal heritage, and what Ithnan had done to Masrur's mind. Maybe his heritage wasn't all it sensed on him, come to think of it, but he didn't dare think about that at the moment. _It sensed those things, and not what Sin's carrying? That's unbelievable. And not only that, but it's holding being the victim of an evil spell against Masrur?!_  


“What should we do?” Masrur asked quietly.  


“Knock, I suppose,” Ja'far said, voice cold. He walked close to the barrier- just enough to set it off again. Then he folded his arms. “Give it a few minutes, I'm sure _someone_ will show up to check on this.”  


When the barrier's noise level increased, it was hard to hear the others. Ja'far couldn't see them, either.  


But a few minutes later, he _did_ hear Sin's voice. “They aren't evil, and aren't _carrying_ anything evil. There's no reason for you not to let them in.”  


Ja'far took a couple steps back, and the barrier faded to clear again. There were four elves standing with Sin and the others, looking worried and on edge. It took all of Ja'far's self-control not to vent his anger at them- he _knew_ it wouldn't help.  


The elves stepped through the barrier. One of them took the lead. “Our barrier is meant to keep evil out of our lands. Do you know of any reasons it might have stopped you?” he asked. It sounded like an official line, but not one he was used to delivering.  


Masrur looked to Ja'far, unsure. Ja'far's eyes narrowed. “Yes,” he said. “I know of reasons it _might_ have stopped us, but I sincerely hope they aren't the actual reasons.”  


“Tell us, and we'll be the judge of that,” the elf replied.  


“Masrur was the victim of evil magic,” Ja'far said. “We rescued him from the person responsible, but the magic has left its mark on him. I can only hope your barrier wouldn't hold something like _that_ against him.”  


“What about you?”  


Ja'far scowled. “I'm much more understandable- I carry the blood of devils inside me, and have had things done to me that would probably explain the way I set off your barrier.”  


The elves looked at each other, clearly wary. “Aylia, check the younger one,” the elf in charge said.  


A female elf took a cautious step towards Masrur. “I won't hurt you, don't worry,” she said gently. “I'm just verifying what your friend told me.”  


Masrur gave Ja'far a questioning look. Ja'far nodded. _It'll be fine. If they hurt you, I will kill all of them,_ he thought, though he tried to at least look calm. Masrur relaxed slightly, so it probably worked.  


A warm, blue light washed over him. Aylia turned to her superior. “He's right- it's the residue of vile magic. The poor child must have been exposed to it for a long time, for it to leave an imprint the barrier would pick up.”  


“Alright. Let him through.”  


The two other elves stood in the barrier itself, holding their arms above their heads to form an arch. “Here, walk under our arms.”  


“Go on,” Ja'far said. “I'll be right behind you.”  


Masrur nodded, and ducked through the hole in the barrier.  


“Aylia, if you would test him?”  


Aylia approached Ja'far slowly. She held out a hand, and blue light surrounded Ja'far. “Well, his story checks out,” she said quietly. “There is evil in his blood, and carved into his bones. But his spirit is good, despite that. And not only that, but he is _blessed._ By the Wolf-God of the Northern Forest, no less.”  


“Are you certain?”  


“Absolutely certain, sir.”  


“Well, if Valefor himself blessed him...” The elf nodded. “Let him through, too.”  


The lack of an apology infuriated him, but Ja'far swallowed his anger and walked under their arms through the barrier. Sin hugged him immediately. “I didn't even _think_ that you'd get stuck on the barrier,” he said. “Should've thought of that. Are you alright?”  


It was hard to stay upset when Sin's arms were around him, even if there were others nearby. “I didn't think it would react that way, either,” he said. He pulled away reluctantly. “I'm fine. Now what?”  


“We have their attention, so let's not waste it,” Sin replied. He walked up to the patrol leader. “Might I have a word with you?”  


“What about, traveler?” the elf replied.  


Sin smiled. “My companions and I have sought out your people for very specific reasons, actually. We have been charged by the gods themselves with solving a problem, but we need magic to solve it. We need the help of Mustasim's wizards.”  


The patrol leader narrowed his eyes. “Charged by the gods.”  


Ja'far stepped up beside Sin. “You are already aware that I was blessed by Valefor,” he reminded the elf firmly.  


“There's a difference between receiving the blessings of a god and being sent on a mission by one,” the elf pointed out. “A blessing can be a lot of things.”  


Aylia came up next to him. “Sir, if I may?”  


“Go ahead.”  


“If you don't mind, traveler?”  


Sin smiled. “Not at all.”  


The blue light washed over him, and she squeaked. “...Captain.”  


“Are you alright, Aylia?”  


“We need to take them to the Queen. _Now.”_  


“What? Why?”  


Aylia pointed at Sin. “Because that man is blessed by _three different gods._ The tiefling may have evil in his blood, but this one...this one has the divine in his. We would be fools and worse not to take them to the Queen.”  


The patrol leader stared. After a moment, he collected himself. “Alright, Aylia. I trust your judgment on this matter.” He turned to Sin and Ja'far. “You will have your wish. We will take your party to the Queen, and she will grant you the aid that you require.”  


Sin nodded. “Thank you, that will do very well.”  


“Aylia, let the other patrols know where we're going. We move out immediately.”  


As the elves led them deeper into the forest, Alibaba said, “You two didn't mention a lot of that to us.”  


“We wanted to be sure we could trust you first,” Sin explained. “Then, once we _did,_ well... I honestly wasn't sure how to explain it. Or if you'd believe me. Most gods aren't that free with their blessings, right?”  


“I guess that makes sense,” Alibaba said, rubbing the back of his head. “Alright. And Ja'far-”  


Ja'far sighed. “Why would I want to tell _anyone_ I'm devilspawn? With 'evil in my blood, and carved into my bones'? It's not exactly the kind of thing that would make someone trust me, is it?”  


“It doesn't matter what you are,” Morgiana said quietly. “We trust you.”  


Masrur nodded. “She's right. You saved me, after all.”  


“Yeah, definitely,” Alibaba said. “Whatever you are, and wherever you come from, you're still one of the nicest people I know!”  


Ja'far stared at them, unsure how to respond. He looked down. “Well...thank you.” _I thought Sin was the only one who would be fine with that side of me...but they accepted it so easily, too?_ It didn't make sense- there was no reason for his eyes to be so stupidly watery. He was happy, so it was ridiculous.  


One of Sin's hands found his. Ja'far twined their fingers together, drawing a little calm from the simple touch.  


They walked for a while in silence, with their guides remaining a little apart from their group. Alibaba broke the silence eventually. “So...you're blessed by three gods?”  


“Well, I guess,” Sin replied, shrugging. “I only knew about two of them- Baal and Valefor.” He grinned at Aylia, who was keeping a curious eye on the group. “Don't suppose you could tell me who the other one is? I feel like I ought to know.”  


Aylia shook her head. “I cannot be sure, unfortunately. I recognized Valefor because his power is a familiar thing in the north.”  


“Well, I have a feeling I'll find out,” Sin said. He sighed. “Sooner rather than later, I'm sure.”  


“You aren't worried that you don't know?” Alibaba asked.  


Sin shrugged. “I'd like to know, of course. But for now, no, I'm not worried.”  


“That's responsible,” Ja'far muttered sarcastically.  


“I'm delegating all the worrying to you,” Sin teased, squeezing his hand lightly.  


“As always.”  


“Well, you're so good at it.”  


“One of us has to be.”  


“There they go again,” Masrur commented quietly.  


Alibaba nodded. “Yup.”  


Sin looked over at them, grinning. “Come on, we're not that bad!”  


“Anyway, we should be thinking about meeting the Queen,” Ja'far said quickly. “Since that's more relevant right now.”  


“Don't worry, Alibaba and I will do most of the talking,” Sin replied. “It's going to be...interesting, talking to royalty, but really, all we have to do is be honest with her, and she should be willing to help us out.”  


Well, that was true enough. Ja'far supposed he had little reason to be anxious. But on the other hand, he couldn't dismiss the feeling that something was off. _It has to be nothing, right? I'm probably just frazzled from the barrier. And that ended up working out in our favor, anyway._  


_So why am I waiting for the other shoe to drop?_


	19. Chapter nineteen

It took them the rest of the day to reach the royal city of Mustasim. The sun had set, and the forest had grown dark. Alibaba was nearly stumbling- he wouldn’t complain, Ja'far knew, but at the same time he couldn’t see very well. Sin would have been in the same predicament if he hadn’t put his goggles on.  


“We should stop for now,” Ja'far said. “Not all of us can see in this kind of light.”  


The captain shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. We’re almost there, you’ll see in a moment.”  


And sure enough, no more than a few minutes later, lights blossomed like thousands of fireflies all around them, in the trees above them. They all stared, awestruck. The royal city was right there in front of them; interwoven with the trees, carved into them. The buildings were a part of the woods, seamlessly blended into the more natural elements. A river ran through the middle of the city, and the water gleamed in the reflected light of the city. The lights were lanterns, Ja'far realized after a moment.  


Ja'far felt Sin’s hand find his. He looked up. Sin was watching the lights, the city, with an unguarded expression of wonder. He’d taken the goggles off now that the forest was lit again, and his golden eyes reflected the light of the lanterns. Sinbad looked beautiful- well, alright, _that_ wasn’t unusual.  


The others were just as awestruck- Alibaba’s mouth was hanging open; Morgiana and Masrur stared at the city with wide eyes. Ja'far smiled, somehow more effected by his friends’ own wonder than the stunning view around him.  


Finally, they continued on their way, the elves leading them along lantern-lit paths into the city. The palace was hard to pick out of the rest of the city; it all blended together so seamlessly. But it seemed to be a sprawling building, as best Ja'far could tell.  


The elves led them into the palace, and left them to wait in an anteroom while they talked to the guards and arranged everything. “This is really amazing, isn’t it?” Sin asked, running a hand over the wall. “We’re inside a tree, I’m pretty sure. A living tree! They just work around the trees instead of cutting them down…I’ve never seen anything like it.”  


“Me either,” Alibaba said, looking just as excited. “There has to be magic in this, right? Otherwise they’d kill the trees, wouldn’t they?”  


“Probably, yeah.”  


After a while, guards came to them. “We will escort you to the Queen,” one of them said.  


Sin nodded. “Thank you. Alright, everyone, let’s go.”  


It wasn’t far. The guards led them to a spacious hall- Ja'far couldn’t tell if it was indoors or out, because the walls and ceiling were trees whose branches had been woven together. The floor was smooth, pale stone that seemed to swallow everyone’s footsteps.  


At the far end was a throne- another tree, really, shaped and carved into a seat for the elf woman seated upon it. The five of them approached, and knelt before her. (Ja'far had to poke Masrur to let him know he needed to do it, too- the Fanalis obviously hadn’t been in a situation like this before.)  


“Rise, travelers, and introduce yourselves.” The Queen’s voice was polite and kind.  


They stood, getting a good look at her for the first time. She was beautiful, like most of the elves they had seen- possibly more so, but Ja'far felt he really wasn’t one to judge. Though she was barely taller than Morgiana, she had a regal presence. Her hair was long, curly, and pale green.  


Behind her stood a knight. He was tall for an elf, with black hair. His dark eyes were sharp as he studied the group.  


Sin stepped to the front of their group. “I am Sinbad. My partner here is Ja'far, and the two Fanalis are Masrur and Morgiana.”  


Alibaba came up to stand next to him. “And I am Alibaba Saluja. We thank you, your Majesty, for your willingness to meet with us on such short notice.” Ja'far didn’t miss the way the Queen and her knight’s eyebrows rose when Alibaba introduced himself.  


“I am Queen Dunya of Mustasim,” the Queen said. “My guards have explained a little of your purpose, and why it would benefit me to listen to you.” Her blue eyes flickered back towards her knight for a moment, then she continued, “I also believe you are owed an apology.”  


“An apology, your Majesty? What for?” Sin asked.  


Queen Dunya smiled. “Our barrier is new, and perhaps a little oversensitive. Two of you were trapped by it without good cause, and for that I apologize.”  


_The Queen apologizes, but the border patrol doesn’t?_ Ja'far thought dryly. “Thank you for your kind words,” he said aloud. Masrur nodded agreement, seeming unsure what to say.  


“You needn’t worry about that, your Majesty,” Sin said, smiling. “After all, it was that incident which brought us to you so expediently. And under the circumstances, we couldn’t afford to delay.”  


Dunya nodded. “Yes, I was under the impression your situation was dire. Please, explain to me what is happening.”  


Sinbad and Alibaba explained the situation, though it was Sin who ended up doing most of the talking. This time, Sin only left out Ja'far’s background and the specifics of their battle with Ithnan. Which was just as well- Ja'far didn’t want to be reminded of it, certainly, and there was little point in discussing every little detail anyway.  


Queen Dunya listened with wide eyes. Once they’d finished, she sighed deeply. “I was afraid it would be related to them.”  


“You know them?” Sin asked, eyes widening.  


“Unfortunately, yes.” Dunya’s hands tightened on her scepter. “…They hoped to use my wizards to further their cause. Luckily, we saw through them, and sent them away before any harm could be done. Ithnan…you’re sure he’s dead?”  


“Very sure, your Majesty,” Sin replied firmly. “I killed him myself.”  


Dunya nodded. “That is a load off my mind, I must say. He is- was- a very dangerous man. Were I not surrounded by loyal friends, I might have fallen for his magic and lies myself.”  


“He tried to control you, too?” Ja'far asked. “…Your Majesty,” he added hastily.  


“Yes,” Dunya whispered, looking down at her hands. She cleared her throat. “Yes. Were it not for Yamraiha and Mogamett, I would no doubt be his puppet even now. Once his deception was discovered, my wizards put the barrier into place.”  


“My Queen, you need not discuss it with them,” her knight said. “Just knowing that it happened is no doubt sufficient.”  


She smiled at him. “I know, Isaac. Still, it’s important.” She turned back to face them. “We have a common enemy. I do not understand their goals, and I do not know how many of this cult are left, but they are a threat nonetheless.”  


“Please, I know it will be hard for you to relive such an ordeal,” Sin said gently. “But your Majesty, if you could tell us exactly what happened, then maybe we could learn more about our shared enemy. And maybe that way, we could come up with more ways to fight them.”  


Her knight- Isaac- moved a few steps closer to the throne, resting a hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, then smiled at him. “You needn’t look so concerned, Isaac,” she said. “They have been very forthcoming with their own stories, so I would be cowardly and rude if I didn’t show them the same courtesy.”  


“As your Majesty wills,” Isaac replied. He squeezed her shoulder lightly, then folded his arms behind his back.  


Dunya met Sin’s eyes calmly. “Ithnan came to us quite a while ago, seeking permission to borrow our magical resources- he had his eyes specifically on our two most powerful wizards, Mogamett and Yamraiha. Of course, I knew nothing about him- who he was, what exactly he needed all of that magic for. So I asked for more information.  


“He was not very forthcoming, however. He alluded to a curse that needed undoing, but wouldn’t go into specifics.  


“I…offered to arrange a meeting with Yamraiha and Mogamett, so they could discuss the matter, but refused to promise to support him until I understood his situation and what he was asking of us. That infuriated him, I think,” she said. “He began to show his true colors. Losing his temper, asking all kinds of odd questions. He asked how I would feel if my god no longer answered my prayers- I have training as a priestess.  


“Once he began talking like a madman, I obviously changed my mind about having him meet with my wizards, and told him to leave.” Dunya smiled tiredly. “He obviously didn’t like that. He warned me that I would regret this.  


“I had Isaac and a wizard I trusted escort him to the border. Neither returned, but Ithnan appeared in my room the next night.” Dunya’s hands tightened on her scepter, and her gaze wavered. “I… well, my recollection of what happened isn’t very clear. But he used magic on me, and changed my memories, changed a lot of things inside of me.”  


Ja'far felt frozen. _Just how many people’s minds has he tried to destroy?_  


“He made me think…well, that I owed him my life. That Isaac had been killed protecting me from rebels of some kind…” Dunya shook her head. “Anyway, all manner of lies. He made me distrust my friends- offered to investigate them for me, under the pretense of studying with them.  


“I agreed.” Her hands were shaking.  


“There was nothing you could have done to change what happened,” Isaac said. “It’s not your fault.”  


“I know that. Still, I should have known better- I should have known to trust my friends, at the very least!” Dunya shivered. “I apologize. My emotions got the better of me.”  


Sin shook his head. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, your Majesty. Anyone would be upset, remembering something like that,” he said.  


She smiled weakly. “Thank you. Anyway. Yamraiha knew there was something wrong- we have been friends for a long time, and she could tell I was not myself. So she went looking for Isaac.”  


Her knight chipped in. “Ithnan used a spell to entomb me underground, leaving me in stasis. I don’t know why he didn’t kill me, but it was definitely a mistake on his part. Yamraiha found me, though it took her some time, saved me, and explained that there was something wrong with my Queen.”  


“When Yamraiha brought Isaac back to me, I was so confused,” Dunya said. “At first, I was sure he was an imposter, or some sort of undead creation, but he convinced me that he was real.”  


“You convinced yourself,” Isaac said dryly. “When I didn’t respond to spells that would have harmed a zombie.”  


Dunya blushed slightly. “…You didn’t have to mentioned that. At any rate, Yamraiha tried to remove the spell he had on me, but it…well, it could not be undone by arcane magic. My powers as a priestess were barely enough to restore my true memories and self. But I did it.”  


_If she was able to fix herself, while under the spell’s influence no less, she ought to be able to help Masrur,_ Ja'far thought. _I’ll ask him what he thinks of the idea later- I’m sure she’d be willing to help once she understands the situation, but who knows if Masrur would trust her to do it?_  


“Unfortunately, Ithnan realized that the game was up, because he vanished before we had a chance to confront him,” Dunya said. “Since then, we have had trouble along our borders- probably meant to keep us busy so we don’t have the opportunity to go after him in earnest.”  


“And that’s why you put the barrier up?”  


“Yes, exactly.” Dunya sighed. “Anyway, I’m sure you can see why learning that he’s dead is a great relief to me. For that alone, I would be willing to help you. And if that stone you mentioned is tied to the harm he wished to bring to this world…”  


“It is,” Alibaba said.  


Dunya nodded. “Then we’ll definitely help you. My friend Yamraiha is the most powerful wizard I’ve ever seen, despite her age- and she’s brilliant, on top of that. If she can’t help you figure out how to undo that magic, I honestly don’t know who could. I would offer Mogamett’s abilities as well, but he is preoccupied with the barrier and other affairs.”  


“That sounds wonderful, your Majesty,” Sin said, smiling at her. “How soon can we meet with her?”  


“It will have to be tomorrow- she is out doing some work on other projects at the moment, and calling her back will take time,” Dunya replied. “But that will at least give the five of you time to rest before she gets to work on the stone. I _am_ correct in assuming you will wish to be present, aren’t I?”  


“Absolutely,” Sin replied.  


“Yes,” Morgiana and Alibaba said emphatically.  


The Queen smiled. “Very well. I will send for you the moment Yamraiha is ready to begin work. In the meantime, you will be our guests here at the palace.”  


“Thank you, your Majesty. You’re too kind,” Sin said.  


“Not at all. You have done us a service- intentionally or not- so of course we must repay you,” she replied.


	20. Chapter twenty

The five of them were escorted to a suite of rooms, set up rather like an apartment. There was an open area for sitting and eating, and two rooms at the back, with two additional rooms on a level above them. Ja'far was aware that there was no diplomatic way to check the rooms for traps and enemies- nor was it likely that there would be any of those anyway, given what the Queen had told them. Still, he stayed close to Alibaba, who was most curious. Just in case.

There was a maid, who descended the stairs as the group filed in. “Your timing is good, I just finished preparing the rooms,” she said, bowing slightly. “The room on the lower left is for bathing- don't worry, there's plenty of hot water for everyone. Oh, and dinner will be brought to you within the hour. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“All of that sounds like more than enough, thanks,” Sin said.

She nodded. “Then I will take my leave. Call if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Ja'far said.

As the door closed behind her, everyone seemed to relax a bit. “I could go to sleep right now,” Masrur muttered.

“What, and miss dinner?” Alibaba asked.

“I'd wake up for that.”

Ja'far hid a smile. He poked his head into each of the rooms (the bedrooms each had two beds, and looked safe enough. And comfortable, of course). Once he was satisfied, he came back downstairs to look in the bathing room.

It was very odd- there was a large tub, made of some sort of polished stone. The weird part was a pipe, which was pouring water into the tub, filling it steadily. “...Huh.” Ja'far investigated, discovering a knob that turned the flow of water on and off. Additionally, there was a plug at the bottom of the tub- presumably to drain it between uses.

“So that's what she meant by enough hot water for everyone,” Sin commented, coming in to look over his shoulder. “This _has_ to be magic, I've never seen anything like this before.”

“Whoa, cool!” Alibaba poked the water. “The water's really warm, too. This is amazing!”

Ja'far nodded. Practicality reasserting itself, he asked, “Who wants to bathe first? Gods know we all need it...”

“Morgiana, you can go first,” Sin offered.

She shrugged. “Your hair will take the longest to dry. Go ahead.”

“As long as you don't mind.” The others left to give him privacy. Sin grinned at Ja'far as he was leaving. “Want to join me?”

Ja'far shook his head. “We'd be in there all night. I know you.”

“Aww, you're no fun.”

“Oh, hush. Don't take forever, remember the rest of us need to wash up too. Do you want me to take the pack with me?” 

“Nah, leave it. It has my extra clothes in it anyway.”

“Alright.” He closed the door behind him.

Alibaba leaned over the railing on the upper level. “Hey Ja'far, we're splitting up rooms now,” he said, grinning. “You and Sinbad can have the downstairs one, okay?”

“Alright,” Ja'far said, raising an eyebrow. _I guess the others liked the idea of having the loft rooms._

Morgiana came out of one of the upper rooms, casually carrying one of the beds. Ja'far stared as she lifted it easily over Alibaba (who barely ducked, and didn't seem remotely surprised), then brought the bed into the other room. There was a very soft thump- at least she'd put it down gently.

“What are you doing?” Ja'far asked.

“Pushing some beds together to make a big one,” Alibaba explained.

“Are you all sleeping together?”

Alibaba nodded. “Well, it would be kinda unfair to leave Masrur out,” he replied. “And Morgiana and I always share a room.”

“As long as you're all fine with it, I guess it's alright,” Ja'far said, shrugging.

“We asked Masrur first,” Alibaba assured him. He glanced over his shoulder, and added more quietly, “I think it makes them both feel more comfortable. I guess Fanalis are really social or something?”

Ja'far smiled. “That's fine then.”

After a bit, Morgiana and Masrur came out onto the landing. Masrur looked down at Ja'far. “If you two are doing anything weird tonight, stick a blanket under the door. I'd rather not get woken up by that.”

“Masrur!”

“I thought that was why we were putting them downstairs,” he said, tilting his head to give Alibaba a confused look.

Alibaba rubbed the back of his head. “Well... I mean, I can't say I didn't think of that, but the main reason was so we could take one of the beds from the other room without bothering anyone,” he explained. “Besides, you shouldn't put it so bluntly, you know?”

Masrur shrugged.

“We're changing the subject now,” Ja'far said, hating how flustered he was. “Actually, come to think of it... Masrur, could I ask you something?”

Masrur nodded.

“What Ithnan did to the Queen...that's what he did to you, too, right?”

“And what he tried to do to you.”

Ja'far nodded. “Yes. But she was able to reverse it, thanks to her priestess training. So she could probably do the same thing for you, if we asked her. What do you think?”

“So...I could get my real memories back?”

“If she could fix herself while under the spell's influence, she shouldn't have a problem helping you.” Ja'far smiled. “It's your choice, obviously. Do you want to ask her?”

Masrur's hands tightened on the railing. “...Let me think about it.”

Ja'far nodded. “Take your time.”

“Huh? But wouldn't you want your real memories back anyway?” Alibaba asked.

There were hairline cracks appearing on the railing where Masrur was gripping it. “...I don't know.”

Morgiana tapped his hand. Masrur looked down, and loosened his grip somewhat. “It's not always simple,” she said quietly. “After all, aren't there things that happened to you that you'd be happier forgetting?”

Alibaba looked away. “I mean...I guess that's true, but-”

“Alright, you two,” Ja'far said firmly. “I know you want to help, but let Masrur think it over for himself.”

The four of them settled in to wait for their turn to bathe (and wait for their dinner to arrive). Sin (finally) got out, apparently seeing no problem with coming out to sit with the others while half-naked. Ja'far noticed, to his amusement, that he wasn't the only one who seemed to appreciate the view. Sin himself seemed oblivious to the four of them staring, though; he went over to sit next to Ja'far without commenting on it. “Bath's open. Ja'far, would you do me a favor?” he asked, holding out his brush.

Ja'far took it, sighing. “You're so spoiled.”

“Your fault,” Sin replied cheerfully, leaning over and kissing him. 

Morgiana went to bathe next, then Alibaba. Then Masrur, who took some minor convincing; he didn't want to miss dinner. Luckily, though, the food came right around when Masrur finished. There was plenty for everyone, and it all tasted delicious. Once everyone was finished, most of the group went to bed.

Ja'far did not; he wanted a bath first. As he gathered a change of clothes from their room, Sin caught his arm. “What?” Ja'far asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Mind if I join you this time?” Sin asked, kissing Ja'far's wire-wrapped wrist.

“Hmmm...” Ja'far pretended he was thinking it over, pretended each kiss Sin pressed to his wrist, his hand, his fingers didn't make him want to melt into Sin's arms. “I don't know, should I let you?” he teased.

Sin grinned. “I could make it worth your while,” he purred.

“That's...good incentive,” Ja'far replied. His breath caught as Sin took one of his fingers in his mouth, sucking it lightly. “Sin...”

“Is that a 'yes' I hear?” Sin asked playfully.

“Gods, yes,” Ja'far sighed.

*****

The next morning, Ja'far was roused by a soft knock on the door. “Um, Sinbad? Ja'far? I hate to wake you up, but the wizard is back, and she wants to meet us in half an hour,” Alibaba called out.

Sin groaned quietly under him. Ja'far smiled slightly. “Alright, we'll be out in a few minutes,” he called back.

Sin's arms tightened around him. “Did she have to get back so _early?”_ he complained.

“It's probably not early,” Ja'far replied. He kissed Sin lightly. “Come on, time to get out of bed.”

“But you're on top of me,” Sin pointed out, tightening his arms around Ja'far to hold him in place. “I can't move.”

Ja'far sighed. “Come on, we don't have time for this right now.”

“We have half an hour,” Sin replied, giving him a pleading look.

“You're hopeless,” Ja'far informed him. He kissed Sin again, lingering despite the taste of morning in Sin's mouth. “Come on. I'll even deal with your hair if you get up now.”

Sin chuckled, sitting up with Ja'far still held firmly in his arms. “You say that like it's such a hardship for you. I know you love playing with it.”

“Oh, shush.”

It didn't take them long to get ready, despite their slow start. Ja'far followed Sin out into the main room, dragon tooth and headband still in his hands. He didn't really think much of it until he was already out in the main room. _They know what I am, and chances are they won't notice, so it's not a big deal...right?_ he thought.

“Whoa, you two were faster than I thought!” Alibaba said, smiling. “There's breakfast, by the way.”

That was clear from just a quick look at the table; Alibaba and Masrur were already eating. Morgiana was trying to comb out her hair. She was not winning that battle. Ja'far hid a smile, and went over to her. “Want a hand? I'm used to dealing with Sin's, so I can be fast.”

Morgiana looked up. “...Please. I keep pulling it out by accident,” she admitted.

Ja'far took the comb from her and got to work. Her hair was thicker than Sin's, and not quite as soft, but still nice to touch. It was also very tangled- she must not have combed it after she washed it the previous night.

Alibaba grinned. “You look kinda like you have bedhead, too,” he said. “With those bits sticking up on either side of your head.”

“Those aren't hair,” Masrur said.

“Huh? What are they?”

“Horns,” Ja'far replied, sighing.

Alibaba scooted over, reaching up and touching one. “Whoa, they are! That's really cool,” he said.

“...Thanks,” Ja'far said, smiling slightly.

“Who are you to tease other people about bedhead, anyway?” Sin asked, elbowing Alibaba lightly.

Alibaba sighed, smoothing a hand over his hair. One blond tuft sprang back up immediately, like it always did. “My hair just grows that way...”

Once he'd helped Morgiana untangle her hair, Ja'far put his headband on and tucked the dragon tooth into it. He didn't need to eat much, which was lucky since they were running out of time.

A guard appeared to escort them. As they went, Ja'far dropped back to walk with Masrur. “Did you think about what I asked?” he asked softly.

Masrur nodded. “I...think I want my real memories.”

“Then we can talk to the Queen.”

“Can you do it?”

Ja'far blinked. “Me? Why?”

“...You're better at talking to people.”

“Alright,” Ja'far said, smiling. “I'll talk to her for you. First chance I get, alright?”

Masrur nodded. “Thanks.”

The group was led outside. In the light of day, the royal city looked just as beautiful- and maybe even wilder- than it did at night. Even though it was still early spring, the trees in the royal city had leaves and even flowers already. It was strange to see buildings blooming, but Ja'far couldn't help thinking it was pretty. _Rurumu would like this,_ he thought. _I remember how excited she was when Pipirika found snowdrops blooming early..._

One of the taller trees stood in the open, with only one building built into it. It looked like a tower, with stairs wrapped around the outside of the trunk. “This is where the royal wizards work,” one of the guards explained.

“Looks like it's cut off from the other buildings,” Sin commented.

“Well, magic can be tricky to contain. This makes it a little easier for everyone.”

 _And safer,_ Ja'far guessed.

They were led up to a room at the top of the tower. As they approached the open door, they heard voices.

“You're sure you don't want to rest first? You were out all night,” the Queen was saying.

“Don't worry, your Majesty,” another female voice replied. “I napped on the ride back. I can at least get started. Like you said, this is important.”

“You're sure you don't need your father to join you?”

“I may ask him if this is over my head.”

Dunya chuckled. “You haven't found a spell over your head yet. I doubt you'll start now.”

“Well, there's a first time for everything. But really, don't worry about me.”

The guard knocked at the doorway. “Your Majesty, lady Yamraiha, your guests are here.”

“Oh, good. Come on in!” the Queen said. As the group filed into the room, Ja'far saw that her knight was with her, as well as a woman who must have been the wizard they were supposed to meet.

The woman with Dunya was young- well, she _looked_ young, at least. Maybe Alibaba's age, Ja'far guessed. She had light blue hair tied in front of her, and large, blue eyes, and was strikingly beautiful. Though she was wearing fairly simple robes, they were open enough to show a lot of her ample chest. Her ears were covered by two golden shells- how they stayed in place was a mystery.

Ja'far glanced at the rest of the group. They were all staring, obviously distracted by the pretty wizard. He rolled his eyes, kicking Sin's ankle subtly. “Thank you for your time, Your Majesty, lady Yamraiha,” he said politely, bowing slightly. _I hope I said her name right, it's a bit of a mouthful..._

Yamraiha smiled. “Of course. Um...it's nice to meet you all.”

Sin seemed to have snapped out of it. “Sorry to interfere with your other projects, but this is an urgent matter,” he said, giving her a winning smile.

It didn't seem to affect her. “Oh, please don't worry. I know it's important,” she assured him. Smiling a little shyly, she added, “Besides...I can't resist a challenge.”

Dunya smiled. “It's true. Anyway, Yamraiha will take things from here, please excuse me.”

As she left, Ja'far glanced over at Masrur. He was looking at the ground, face unreadable. Ja'far sighed quietly, then nudged Sin. “I'll be back in a moment. Try to keep your eyes in your skull, would you?”

“Alright, but what-?”

Ignoring him, Ja'far hurried after the Queen and her knight. “Excuse me, your Majesty,” he said. “Could I have a moment more of your time?”

Her knight frowned at him, clearly wary. _The border patrol probably told him what I am,_ Ja'far thought. _And after what Ithnan did, no wonder he's not so trusting..._

“What is it?” Dunya asked, curious.

“Yesterday, you said...you said that when Ithnan changed your memories, you were able to reverse the process somehow. Is that something you could replicate?” he asked.

Dunya blinked. “I...yes, I could. Why do you ask?”

“He used the same spell on Masrur,” Ja'far explained. “Now that Ithnan's dead, Masrur is able to fight its influence, but he still doesn't have his real memories back. We were hoping you would be willing to help him.”

“Of course!” Dunya said, eyes widening. “I think I have a little time right now, if he'd like me to.”

“Please?”

They went back to Yamraiha's workroom. Dunya poked her head in. “Excuse me. Masrur? Ja'far said that you wanted me to undo Ithnan's spell. If you come with me, I can do that for you.”

Masrur nodded, coming over to them. “...Thanks.”

“Well, I couldn't just leave you like that, could I?” she asked, smiling gently. “We'll go back to your chambers for this, I don't want to interfere with Yamraiha's work.”

No one seemed surprised by this development; Masrur must have explained what was happening after he had followed Dunya, Ja'far supposed.

Morgiana took a step towards them. “Do you want me to...”

Masrur shook his head. “Don't bother. I'll be back soon.”

“I'll go to keep an eye on things,” Ja'far assured her. “We'll return as soon as it's done.” He smiled at Morgiana. “...Make sure Sin and Alibaba behave themselves, alright?”

Sin raised an eyebrow. “Why is she in charge?”

“Because.” _She was subtle about looking down Yamraiha's robes, unlike the rest of you._ “Anyway, excuse us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry Yam's intro was a bit of a tease. she'll have a lot more to do next week, I promise! there will also be another 'extra' chapter sometime this week. :)


	21. Chapter twenty-one

Ja'far and Masrur followed the Queen and her knight back to the rooms where they were had stayed the previous night. It was clear to Ja'far that Masrur was nervous about getting his memories back; the Fanalis was sticking closer to him than usual, and his fists were clenched. “Are you sure about this?” Ja'far asked quietly.  


Masrur nodded. “Yeah.” He glanced over at Ja'far. “…If there’s…somewhere for me to go back to…is that alright?”  


“Of course,” Ja'far assured him, smiling. “We would never keep you with us against your will.”  


“Right. And…if there isn’t?”  


“Then you can still stay with us as long as you like,” Ja'far replied.  


“…Okay.” He relaxed a little.  


They arrived, and Dunya settled Masrur into a comfortable chair. “You might pass out for a little while,” she said gently. “I certainly did. Are you ready?”  


Masrur nodded.  


“Alright. Be patient, this may take a few minutes to start working.” She knelt in front of him, and began whispering quietly in a language Ja'far didn’t recognize.  


Ja'far stood off to the side with the knight, Isaac. “Your Queen is very kind,” Ja'far said quietly.  


Isaac nodded. “She always has been.” He was keeping a close eye on Ja'far, though at least he was trying to be subtle about it. “Why is someone like you traveling with them, anyway?”  


“It’s a long story,” Ja'far replied.  


“You can give me the short version.”  


It wasn’t just idle curiosity, then. Ja'far couldn’t help being annoyed- _if you can’t trust me, why are you letting me stand in the same room as your Queen?-_ but he forced that feeling down. “Because I want to protect them,” he said. “And because without Sinbad, I’d still be what you’re afraid I am.”  


Dunya was beginning to glow faintly; the light seemed to be centered around her hands. It hurt a little to look at it, even though the light wasn’t really all that bright. Ja'far glanced over at Isaac; the elf didn’t seem to mind it. _I guess it’s just me. Figures._  


The glow brightened abruptly, and Ja'far quickly shielded his eyes. It _burned,_ in a way that wasn’t quite painful. Maybe it should have been.  


As soon as the light receded enough for Ja'far to be able to stand it, he opened his eyes, needing to make sure Masrur was alright. _He’s not like me, I’m sure he’s fine,_ he assured himself. Sure enough, Masrur looked asleep; Dunya was still speaking quietly, but the majority of the glow had faded from her.  


Finally, she opened her eyes. “I think that did it,” she said, smiling at Ja'far. “He’ll wake up soon, and he can tell us for himself.”  


“Thank you so much,” Ja'far said, bowing deeply. “I really owe you for this.”  


“No, please, don’t worry about it,” Dunya replied. She stood up with a sigh. “But I have to ask- Ja'far, don’t you have anything to ask of me on your own behalf?”  


Ja'far felt a chill go down his spine. “I…I don’t know what you mean,” he said.  


The Queen met his eyes. There was no judgment in her gentle blue gaze, only pity- which felt worse, really. “Don’t you? After all, you must remember- the darkness is carved into you, as much as it’s something you were born into. I could see it on you while I was helping Masrur.”  


_A blade pressed against his leg. Ja'far couldn’t quite stop himself from trembling, but even that barely mattered- he was tied down so firmly he couldn’t move at all. “Keep still. You’ll die if I fuck this up,” one of the medics told him._  


_“Are you ready?” The voice wasn’t one Ja'far knew. A woman- probably from that cult the higher-ups were paying tribute to._  


_“Whenever you are.”_  


_“Then begin.”_  


_The sharp blade sliced deep into his thigh; Ja'far tried to hold still, tried to remind himself of his training to _endure everything they throw at you._ The blade found bone, began to open a long, jagged line down his leg…_  


Mom, dad, help me! Anyone, please! _he thought desperately. But he knew no one was coming. His parents had brought him here on Guild orders- hell, his dad had helped tie him to the table._  


Ja'far shook his head, to clear the memory as much as to deny what the Queen was saying. “…I have nothing to ask of you. But thank you.”  


“Why not?” Isaac asked. “You’d lose some of that dark aura.”  


“I can’t,” Ja'far replied. “Not now.” _Not when I have so many people to protect. It might have been evil magic, but if it gives me strength, I don’t care._  


Dunya nodded. “As long as you’re sure.”  


“I’m sure.” He leaned against the back of Masrur’s chair. “How long will he be asleep, do you think?”  


“Not very long,” Dunya assured him.  


“Alright.” There was a short pause. To keep the conversation away from him, Ja'far asked, “How long have you known lady Yamraiha?”  


Dunya smiled. “Since she was very little. Mogamett brought her with him, when he came to live here. Her parents had been students of his, and he took her in when they died.” She sat down in one of the chairs near Masrur’s.  


“So she’s not actually from Mustasim?”  


“Not exactly. Her father was, though her mother was a human from further south. Twenty-seven years ago, there was a magic school in the country to the south of us. People of all races went to study there; it was very well known. Unfortunately, when the country went to war, they tried to drag the students into it as well. It went poorly for all concerned. The surviving students and teachers took refuge here. Mogamett feels he owes me for that, but really, we’ve benefited so much from having all these amazing wizards here, I don’t see how he _could_ owe us anything.”  


“I see,” Ja'far said. _So she’s half-human? That’s unusual…not that I’m one to talk, I suppose._  


“What about you? How long have you and Sinbad been traveling together?” she asked. “I know you two just met the others recently.”  


Ja'far smiled. “Only a few months, really- we met last fall.”  


“Oh, that’s not long at all!” Dunya giggled. “You two act like you’ve known each other forever.”  


Ja'far was saved from replying by Masrur, who chose that moment to wake up. He rubbed his eyes, frowning at the ground.  


“Are you alright, Masrur?” Ja'far asked.  


Masrur nodded jerkily. His refusal to look up didn’t exactly bode well.  


“Did you get everything back?” Dunya asked gently.  


Masrur nodded again, still not looking up.  


Dunya looked to Ja'far, questioning. Ja'far wasn’t sure what to do, either, but he suspected Masrur would be more comfortable without Dunya and Isaac hovering nearby. 

“Thank you for your assistance, your Majesty,” he said. “We won’t impose on your time any further.”  


“I understand,” Dunya replied. She stood, taking another concerned look at Masrur. “Come, Isaac. We have other matters to attend to.”  


Once the door closed behind them, Masrur relaxed slightly. Ja'far smoothed a hand over the Fanalis’ red hair, ready to pull away if Masrur didn’t want that. He didn’t seem to mind. “…I don’t know if I feel better or not,” Masrur said quietly.  


“Want to talk about it?” Ja'far asked, stroking Masrur’s hair.  


Masrur shrugged. “I didn’t remember my parents. Or ever being free.” He clenched his hands into fists. “…Ithnan was worried I would be loyal to the woman who trained me as a slave, who tried to make me her attack dog, so he altered my memory of her. And of the other kids.”  


_Why would he be loyal to someone like that?_ Ja'far wondered.  


“Even though I didn’t give up my pride. She sold me because she got fed up with trying to wear me down, I think,” Masrur said, sounding almost as though he was talking about a stranger, not himself. “He made me think I _had_ given up. That she sold me because she finished training me. Shows what he knew about her training.” He took a deep breath, then sighed deeply. “…We should head back.”  


“Alright,” Ja'far said. “Sure you’re ready?”  


Masrur nodded. “Yeah. I remembered something I have to tell Morgiana.” He stood up and headed for the door.  


Ja'far followed him. “Oh? What is it?”  


“She’s _not_ the only other Fanalis I’ve seen.”  


Ja'far’s eyes widened. “Really?”  


Masrur nodded. He paused, hand on the door knob. “…Thanks.”  


“Huh? For what?”  


“For helping me with this.”  


“Of course.”  


They went back to the tower. Masrur sneezed as they walked into the workroom; Ja'far quickly covered his face with his sleeve. “…What’s with all the smoke?” he asked. He decided he didn’t want to ask why the workroom looked like a tornado had hit it. He did, however, pick up a few books off the floor and put them down on one of the tables.  


Yamraiha looked up from her desk, where she was drawing sigils in chalk around the stone. “Ah, sorry about that! I tried a few things that…didn’t quite work as planned.”  


“Welcome back, you two,” Sin said, waving. He was standing on a chair, trying to get a few books off a high bookshelf. “Everything work out alright?”  


Masrur nodded.  


“Yes, everything’s fine,” Ja'far said. “What have you found out so far?”  


“Whoever did this is a terrible person,” Yamraiha said. “From what I’ve been able to determine so far, this stone is under the effects of spells from multiple schools- strong elements of Conjuration and Transmutation, some Enchantment and Abjuration, and even a little divine stuff. Maybe Necromancy, too, but I could be conflating that with the evil aura around the stone. They must have used a ritual, there’s no _way_ someone could weave all these complicated spells together without borrowing or stealing additional power.”  


_Well, at least I understood most of that,_ Ja'far thought. “So…can you undo it?”  


Yamraiha paused. “…I should be able to. But I need to know more exactly what’s involved. I don’t want to hurt the person- people?- trapped in here.”  


“She thinks there might be more than one person in the stone, but can’t confirm that,” Sin explained. “And she has to untangle all the defenses around it so she can get into it. Like picking a lock, but with magic.” He managed to pull down a book, but the chair wobbled and he dropped it.  


“Got it.” Ja'far caught the book easily. “Try not to fall over, would you?”  


“I’ll try.” Sin got another book, more easily than the last one, and got down from the chair. “All this smoke is making my head hurt. Morgiana had to leave for a few minutes, she was sneezing so much.”  


“I _said_ I was sorry,” Yamraiha pointed out. She squinted at her desk and nodded. “Okay. All of you be quiet for a minute.”  


Everyone immediately went quiet. Yamraiha smiled slightly. Then she held her hands over the stone, speaking a short sentence in a harsh, hissing language Ja'far couldn’t identify. Blue light pulsed under her hands, almost like a heartbeat. “…Only one heartbeat. I guess I was right before, there’s only one person in here,” she said softly. “Ugh, these Geases are such a pain- better dispel them before I get to work on the rest.” She stepped back, and the glow faded.  


“Is…um, the person in there…okay?” Alibaba asked.  


Yamraiha nodded. “Sleeping, I think. Just as well.” She stretched her arms over her head. “There’s so many layers to this- I can’t imagine the planning it must have taken to set this up, let alone cast it.”  


“What are ‘Geases’?” Ja'far asked.  


“A type of magical compulsion- an enchantment. It forces those effected to follow a certain course of action, or avoid a certain thing, at the risk of harm to themselves if they manage to fight it,” Yamraiha explained. She took a cloth and wiped the chalk marks off her desk, then began to draw new ones. “And there’s a lot of them on here. Someone really didn’t want this person to get out.”  


Ja'far couldn’t help noticing the anger burning in Alibaba’s eyes, the tension that grew in Morgiana at Yamraiha’s words.  


Sin ruffled Alibaba’s hair. “Don’t worry. We’ll get your friend out of this,” he promised. “She’s already figured out most of what she needs to know to free him, right?”  


Alibaba nodded, sighing. “…I know.”  


“Alright, time to dispel the Geas effects,” Yamraiha said. She held her hands over the stone, and a crackle of blue lightning played over it. Her eyes seemed to glow with power, enough that the others had to look away.  


One of the bolts went seemingly astray, striking Sin. Sin winced, taking a surprised step back and shaking his head. He looked over- then his eyes widened slightly and he grabbed Ja'far’s arm. “Don’t. It didn’t hurt me,” he said.  


Ja'far blinked at him, then looked down. One of his blades was in his hand already- he hadn’t even realized he’d called it. He tucked it back into place. “But why did-”  


“There was a Geas effect on him, too,” Yamraiha said, voice strained. “Sorry, Sinbad, I should have warned you first.”  


“Don’t worry about it,” Sin said. He looked down at his hands, frowning.  


_I don’t want to distract her, but… what kind of Geas was on him? Was_ that _what I’ve been sensing?_ Ja'far moved a little closer to Sin, not sure what else he could do.  


Sin’s hand brushed against his, and Ja'far saw a little bit of his partner’s tension ease.  


Gradually, the blue light faded. Yamraiha sat down, breathing hard. “…That was harder than I thought,” she said. She rubbed her temples. “So, Sinbad, did you _know_ you had a Geas on you?”  


“I had no idea. What was it making me do?” Sin asked.  


“Don’t worry, it wasn’t that bad,” Yamraiha assured him. “It was making you keep the stone close to you, and I think specifically keep it away from people who knew the person inside it? It was a general effect on anyone who touched the stone- that would probably help them keep track of it, if one person held onto it.”  


Sin sighed, looking relieved. “…Could have been worse, then.”  


“Oh, much worse, definitely,” Yamraiha agreed. She smiled. “Now, where were those books I had you get for me?”  


“Right here.” Sin picked them up from where he’d left them and brought them to her.  


“Thank you. Alright…this is going to take me a little while to set up.” She opened a book, grabbing a pen and a bottle of ink. The others sat down- there were a couple chairs, which Morgiana and Alibaba took, while the rest of them perched on tables (careful not to knock over or sit on anything important).  


While she was working, Masrur nudged Morgiana’s arm. “I remembered something interesting.”  


“What was it?” Morgiana asked.  


“Five years ago, when Ithnan bought me, he wasn’t the only one bidding on me. There was a woman…I don’t remember her name. She was a priestess of some kind.”  


“What kind of priestess buys slaves?” Alibaba wondered, sounding displeased.  


“You’d be surprised,” Ja'far said dryly.  


Masrur shook his head. “She didn’t want me as a slave,” he explained. “When she was talking to the dealer, there were two kids with her… Fanalis kids. They came and talked to me… and said that the priestess was buying Fanalis who had been taken as slaves and was freeing them. Giving them a place to live.”  


“Do you know where?!” Morgiana asked, eyes widening.  


“Not sure,” Masrur said. “But…it’s probably somewhere on the southern or western continent.”  


Morgiana nodded. “Then once this is done, we should go there and look for her.”  


“Maybe Aladdin’s family can help us out,” Alibaba suggested. “With all their magic, they ought to be able to find her, right?”  


“That’s right.”  


“Sorry, everyone, could I have you quiet down?” Yamraiha asked. “I’m getting to the actual spellwork, so I can’t afford distractions.”  


The group stopped talking immediately, all eyes going to Yamraiha. She wasn’t paying attention to them, though; her focus was on the stone. All the books and papers had been pushed off her desk, making room for an incredibly complex array of chalk runes and circles and sigils. Yamraiha studied the design, checking it one more time. “If anyone knocks on the door, tell them to go away for me, please,” she said.  


“Yes, ma'am.”  


She smiled. “Good. Here we go!” She held her hands out over the stone, and rippling waves of blue energy spread from her hands, making the entire room glow; it looked almost as though it was underwater. But the light wasn’t just for show; Ja'far could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. There was power in all of this, different from any he’d ever felt. He couldn’t help feeling, though, that Yamraiha’s power was different in a good way.  


The stone itself slowly began to respond, glowing a deeper shade of blue. Sparks of white light began to appear gradually, like stars in the evening sky.  


But after a few minutes, something began to feel wrong. Yamraiha squeaked, clearly startled, and Sin stood up abruptly.  


Black fog began to rise from the stone, and with it, an ominous power filled the room.


	22. Chapter twenty-two

Yamraiha’s workroom was filling with a thick, black fog that poured forth from the stone. But that was nothing to the ominous power that Ja'far could feel coming from the same source; a malevolence that made Ithnan and the chain devil seem almost childish. This was something different; something sinister and cold, and much more _controlled_ than the others had been.  


That was the worst part; it felt as though the dark energy was exploring deliberately, not acting at random.  


“Close your eyes,” Sin whispered. Ja'far had barely enough time to comply before Sin’s hands began to glow brightly, and a warm, welcoming light filled the area around them. There was a slight breeze, which stirred Ja'far’s hair and made the sweat on the back of his neck feel even colder.  


It helped push back the dark energy, even when the initial bright burst faded enough that Ja'far could open his eyes. The others had gathered around them, inside the circle of light Sin had provided.  


Yamraiha hadn’t moved from her position at the desk; her hands barely trembled as she held them over the stone, and her face was set in a fierce scowl of determination. There was a roar coming from somewhere near her, almost like the sound of waves. She was lit by a steady, blue glow. “You’re either the smartest curse I’ve ever met, or…”  


There was a crack like thunder. Yamraiha didn’t flinch; everyone else did, though, and the light around Sin’s hands flickered and went dim.  


Everything went dark abruptly; even Yamraiha looked as though there was a veil between her and the rest of the room. Ja'far knew they probably wouldn’t help, but his knives were in his hands anyway. _What’s happening? This can’t just be a curse, it feels like there’s something else in the room with us…_  


“What is she doing?” Alibaba whispered. “What _is_ this?!”  


“Don’t panic,” Sin replied, voice calm. “She doesn’t sound like she’s lost control yet.”  


_“Yet.”_  


“It’s alright.” Sin clasped his hands together in front of them, and the warm glow returned. He smiled. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Alibaba. She’s going to break this curse and get your friend out of there. Yamraiha has this under control.”  


_I get that you’re trying to reassure her, too,_ Ja'far thought uneasily. _But just make sure that you don’t distract her._  


The blue light seemed to shine through more brightly almost immediately- it seemed that Yamraiha had taken strength from Sin’s words after all. The dark presence didn’t diminish, but it seemed as though it was being held at bay.  


Morgiana sniffed the air. She gasped. “Aladdin…!”  


Yamraiha stepped back as the stone began to float. White lines appeared all over its surface, almost like cracks. The stone began to expand, going from barely fist-sized to almost the size of Yamraiha’s head in the course of a minute. “Come on,” Yamraiha said. “Wake up, in there! Don’t stay trapped in that nightmare- your friends are waiting for you.”  


The others were watching Yamraiha and the stone intently, so they didn’t notice. But Ja'far realized that Sin was not holding up well. He looked exhausted, and much paler than he should have. Ja'far touched his arm, giving him a questioning look. Sin shook his head, a bead of sweat running down his face.  


_That bad, huh…_ Ja'far squeezed Sin’s arm lightly, and turned to look back at the stone. It was still growing- would it turn into a person, or just hatch like an egg? _How big is it going to need to get?_ Ja'far wondered uneasily. _Do we have time?_  


Apparently, they didn’t. The darkness seemed to congeal around Yamraiha and their group, looking more like some sort of sludge than fog now. Sin faltered, his eyes going oddly dark for a moment. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head frantically. When he opened his eyes, they were bright gold again.  


“Sin?”  


“Brace yourselves, I can’t-” Sin stumbled, dropping to one knee. “-can’t keep this up anymore.”  


The glow faded from his hands, and a crushing shadow fell over the group. Ja'far was knocked to the ground- he couldn’t see anything, couldn’t hear the others. It felt as though something was crushing him, though he didn’t feel the darkness as a physical sensation. Even if it was crushing him under an unimaginable weight, Ja'far couldn’t shake the impression that this was all in his mind.  


Ja'far struggled- _I have to get up, I have to help Sin-_ but he could barely breathe, let alone stand. The more he struggled, the harder it was to move, and every breath he took left him able to take in less air.  


There was a sense of disgust in the air, of contempt and disdain. As if some arrogant spirit was looking down on him like an insect.  


His knives were still in his hands.  


Ja'far adjusted his grip, letting them cut into the palms of his hands as he shocked himself with their power. For a frozen moment, he could see the others crumpled on the ground nearby; the moment the electricity left his system, he managed to take a full breath. _We’re near the door- maybe I can get them out of here._  


Concentrating when he could barely breathe wasn’t easy, but Ja'far managed to direct his wires. One wrapped around Masrur and Alibaba’s wrists, the other found the door handle. _They’re too heavy- I can’t move both of them fast enough! Come_ on!  


Suddenly, he felt the burden ease slightly. _Masur. He’s still able to move- of course, he’s a Fanalis._ As they moved past him, he felt that Alibaba was trying to move too- it wasn’t much, but at least he was still conscious.  


Ja'far dragged the two of them to the doorway, loosening the wires when he felt Masrur and Alibaba trying to tug free. He grabbed Morgiana and Sin next; Morgiana was trying to help, he felt, but they were heavier to drag, and Ja'far didn’t have the strength left to focus properly.  


_I have to get them out of this…_ Ja'far let the last of the air leave his lungs as he yanked hard on the wire. It wasn’t enough to free them, but maybe Morgiana could drag herself and Sin the rest of the way…  


The only light he was seeing was spots dancing in his vision. His head was pounding, and he was sure the lack of air was going to kill him before whatever else the evil magic suffusing the air had planned.  


Suddenly, the pressure eased, and air rushed into his lungs again. Ja'far sat up, gasping for air. Immediately, he moved to Sin and Morgiana- Sin was unconscious, but breathing. Morgiana sat up, coughing. “Are Alibaba and Masrur-?”  


“We’re here,” Alibaba said. He knelt down next to her, hugging her around the shoulders for a moment.  


“How…?” Ja'far looked back towards the door.  


An old man stood in the doorway, holding out a staff. Energy emanated from the end of it; that had to be what had saved them. He came up to stand in front of them. 

“Yamraiha?” he called out.  


“Sorry, father! Almost done!”  


“Your wards broke, are you hurt?”  


“No, I’m fine! I’ve got it under control now, thank you!”  


_Does she?_ Ja'far wondered. He pulled Sin into his lap. _He must’ve blacked out right after he dropped his protection spell. He’d better be alright…_  


The shadows dissolved abruptly, and the light from the stone- now the size of the desk- turned white. With a resounding crack, the stone shattered.  


A white orb floated in its place, but that faded quickly; a young boy with long, braided blue hair landed lightly on the desk, blinking his eyes open.  


“Aladdin!”  


The sense of power faded from the room, and the boy smiled. “Alibaba? Morg…?”  


Alibaba and Morgiana ran forward, hugging the blue-haired boy. “Aladdin, are you okay?!” Morgiana asked.  


“You’re really back!”  


“You guys saved me? Wait, where am I? Who are these people? Where’s mom? Ugo? Dad? Are they okay?”  


The old man walked carefully around them, going to Yamraiha. “Are you alright?”  


Yamraiha nodded looking worn out. “Yes… I lost control of the curse, I’m so sorry!”  


“It’s gone now.”  


“Between us, we must have dispelled it- I can’t sense it anywhere,” she agreed. She looked over at Ja'far. “Oh, no- is Sinbad alright?”  


The old man held out his staff, and a wave of energy passed over Ja'far and Sinbad. “…He seems exhausted, nothing worse than that.” He came over, kneeling down stiffly. “I can ease that, if you’ll allow it.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Please. Are you Lord Mogamett?”  


“Yes.” He touched Sin’s forehead lightly with his staff. “And you are the travelers Queen Dunya mentioned.”  


“Yes, sir.”  


Sin stirred, but didn’t quite wake up. “He’ll be up and about in a minute,” Mogamett said, getting laboriously to his feet again.  


“Thank you, sir.”  


The blue-haired boy came over to them, with Alibaba and Morgiana close behind. He looked a little younger than Morgiana, and had wide, blue eyes. “This is Ja'far,” Alibaba said. “And Sinbad’s the one who’s unconscious- he was protecting us while Yamraiha freed you. And this is Masrur. Guys, this is Aladdin!”  


Ja'far smiled. “Nice to finally meet you.”  


Aladdin laughed. “Thanks! It’s nice to meet you, too.” He looked down at Sinbad, and tilted his head. “…Have I seen him before?”  


“Well, he was carrying you around for months,” Ja'far said. “Or does that not count?”  


“I don’t remember any of that,” Aladdin replied. “It feels like I just woke up from a really long nap- and not a fun one, either.” He looked up at Masrur, who was standing just behind Ja'far. “Anyway, Masrur, right? You’re like Morg?”  


Masrur nodded. “We’re both Fanalis, yes.”  


“That’s great! Morg was hoping she could find her people,” Aladdin said.  


“That was a coincidence, more or less,” Ja'far said. “We met Masrur while we were on the way to Mustasim- which is where we are now, for the record.”  


Aladdin nodded. “Mustasim…that’s way up north, right?”  


“We’re on the northern continent, yes.”  


“That’s really far,” Aladdin said, eyes widening. “Alibaba, how long have I been gone?!”  


“More than eight months, now,” Alibaba replied.  


“Eight months?!” Aladdin squeaked. “What about mom and dad and Ugo? Are they okay?”  


Morgiana put a hand on his shoulder gently. “Ugo’s looking for your parents right now, Aladdin.”  


“Yeah,” Alibaba said. His smile was a little forced, though, Ja'far noticed. “He knows your dad’s alive, because Arba’s still trying to find a way to destroy him. As for your mom, um, he’s mostly sure she’s not dead. It’s just _finding_ either of them that’s the problem. Hell, we found you by tracking Falan, who was after Sinbad- if Sinbad hadn’t stolen you by accident, we’d still be looking for you.”  


Aladdin looked upset- well, understandably so, given what Alibaba was saying. “…Really?”  


“I know it’s not exactly good news,” Alibaba said, sighing. “But at least we have you safe, now.”  


“I guess,” Aladdin said dubiously.  


“It’s more than that,” Ja'far pointed out. “We’ve defeated Ithnan, Wahid’s gone. You’re free- which they may not know yet. And the Queen of Mustasim was eager to help us out, so it’s not like we’re dealing with this alone.”  


“Ja'far’s right,” Sin said, not bothering to open his eyes. “And besides, we came this far. We should see this through. Help you find your parents. Stop this Arba person.” He smiled. “I’m Sinbad, by the way.”  


Aladdin smiled, looking relieved. “…I’m Aladdin. Um, thank you for all your help.”  


Sin opened his eyes. “You’re welcome.” He sat up, putting a hand to his head and wincing. “Sheesh, that hurts…is everyone alright?”  


“Everyone’s fine. What about you?” Ja'far asked, relieved.  


Sin smiled, shrugging. “Fine. Kind of a headache, but I’ve had worse hangovers, so I’m not worried.”  


“I’m so sorry about that!” Yamraiha said, coming over to join them. “I’d put up wards to keep any curses contained, but they were stronger than I thought. And then I couldn’t look up without putting Aladdin in danger… I’m glad you’re all safe.”  


“Aladdin, this is Yamraiha,” Alibaba said. “She let you out of the stone you were stuck in.”  


“Whoa…” Aladdin stared. “Thank you for saving me!”  


“You’re welcome. So now that you’re safe, and all the traps on your prison are gone, maybe we should talk about what everyone knows?” Yamraiha suggested. “Because I think I’m not the only one who wants to know just what is going on, here.”  


Mogamett nodded. “The Queen will want to know, too.”  


Aladdin nodded. “Yeah, okay! And…well, I don’t know what to do from here, so…”  


“We can help you figure that out,” Sin said. “Once we know the whole story.” He stood up, a little unsteadily; Ja'far held onto his arm to make sure he didn’t fall over. Sin looked down, surprised. “…What happened to your hands?” he asked, turning one over to reveal the cut across the palm.  


Ja'far shrugged. “I was trying to push back the curse after you collapsed. Didn’t work too well.”  


“Here, let me see!” Aladdin said. He took Ja'far’s hands and whispered something, healing them immediately. He smiled. “There you go.”  


“Thank you,” Ja'far said, smiling back.  


“I’m going to call Queen Dunya back here to discuss things,” Yamraiha said.  


Aladdin’s stomach growled.  


“…And lunch. Lunch sounds good,” Yamraiha added, smiling.


	23. Chapter twenty-three

The group ended up having lunch in Mogamett’s workroom; Yamraiha’s was too much of a disaster to accommodate them all. Queen Dunya and Isaac came to join them not long after the food arrived, and Aladdin was introduced to them.  


Over lunch, Sin explained to Aladdin how he’d stolen the stone from a dragon without knowing what it was, and how he’d gotten to the northern continent. Alibaba added how the group had met up, and then gotten to Mustasim. The Queen gave a brief explanation of her involvement with Ithnan.  


“So that’s our side of it, more or less,” Sinbad said. “But what about yours? Alibaba tried to tell us some of it before, but all those Geases made it impossible for him to explain much.”  


Aladdin sighed. “Um…okay. There’s a lot to tell, but I can clear up some things.” He looked at the table, frowning. “I don’t know where to start, though.”  


“What about Solomon?” Ja'far suggested gently. “What’s your connection to him?”  


“Oh!” Aladdin looked at Alibaba, confused. “You didn’t tell them?”  


Alibaba shrugged. “I couldn’t. I dunno if they’d believe me anyway.”  


“Well. Okay. Solomon’s my father, you see,” Aladdin explained, smiling.  


Ja'far’s jaw dropped, and he was far from the only one who was shocked. “Your father is a _god?”_ Sin asked.  


“Yup!” Aladdin grinned. “I mean, he was human when mom got pregnant with me, so it’s not like I’m…” He waved his arms. “You know. All divine and stuff. I got a _little_ bit of it- mom did too, it’s because of how much dad loves us. But I’m still human. More or less.”  


“Good to know.” Sin ran a hand through his hair distractedly. “So your father became a god really recently, then.”  


Aladdin nodded. “Yeah. Fifteen years ago, I think mom said.”  


Mogamett leaned forward, squinting dubiously at Aladdin. “…I realize I’ve been living with elves for a long time now, but you seem younger than that.”  


“Mom stopped time for me for a while,” Aladdin explained. “So I could be born when things were more peaceful.”  


Yamraiha stared. “Your mother sounds incredible! Enacting a long-term time stop effect on a developing fetus without effecting the mother would take very precise casting, not to mention some really impressive levels of energy.”  


Aladdin beamed. “Mom really is amazing. Uncle Ugo helped her with the theory part, but she did all the casting on her own.”  


“Why?” Masrur asked.  


“Why what?” Aladdin replied.  


“Why did she freeze you? What was happening?”  


“Well, they were fighting a war,” Aladdin said. “We’re from the very far south- even further than the Fanalis. Down there, everything was controlled by the priesthood of an old god called Il Ilah. Il Ilah was a god of magic, so his priests were all wizards, too.  


“But the priesthood was corrupt, and treated everyone who wasn’t human, and to a degree even humans without magic, as if they were trash.” Aladdin smiled sadly. “Apparently, it got _really_ bad. And they tried to expand further north, too. But my dad and his friends realized that what the priesthood was doing was really bad, so they decided to rebel against it, and try to free everyone.”  


Sin smiled. Ja'far recognized that light in his eyes; it was like when they’d first met, and Sin had explained that he wanted to stabilize the world to make it safer for mankind.  


“It was hard to convince everyone to trust them at first,” Aladdin continued. “After all, dad and the others were wizards, too- members of the priesthood. But as they kept fighting, and setting everyone free, more and more people began to rally behind them. Dad made sure that people who weren’t human had a chance to learn magic, too. And once mom joined, she used her protection magic to keep everyone safe.  


“They won eventually, but it was at a really high price.” Aladdin looked down at his hands. “A lot of people died in the final battle. None of them really stopped blaming themselves for that, I guess- especially dad, because he was leading them.  


“Well, I guess that wasn’t the only reason dad blames himself. _His_ father was the leader of the priesthood, and was the one responsible for killing a lot of the people we lost.”  


“So…Solomon was fighting against his own father?” Dunya asked. “That must have been awful, I can’t imagine…”  


Aladdin nodded. “I guess they weren’t ever close, though. But dad killed him in the end, and he and mom and everyone spent a lot of time restoring peace and making sure everyone was doing well.”  


“But how did your father go from revolutionary to god?” Ja'far asked. “That seems like a bit of a leap, doesn’t it?”  


Smiling, Aladdin said, “It kind of does, huh? Well, most of the ‘old gods’ are tied to certain areas. Il Ilah was no exception- but my grandfather had found a way to use divine law to trap him in a tower, so he was even more restricted than a lot of other gods.  


“When dad found him, Il Ilah was…exhausted. He had seen his power and his name used for horrible things, things he’d never intended. And because of the spells and things my grandfather used against him, Il Ilah couldn’t fight back. He wanted to 'swallow’ Il Ilah or something, so he had to weaken him first.  


“So when my dad freed him, Il Ilah offered him a choice.”  


“What was the choice?”  


“To free Il Ilah, and become the new high priest of a despairing god- one who wanted to give up and sink his domain into the sea. Or he could take Il Ilah’s place as a god, and protect the land and people he’d fought for in a new way.  


“Of course, he chose the latter.” Aladdin smiled. “…If he’d just wanted the power, Il Ilah wouldn’t have offered. Il Ilah saw how much dad wanted to protect everyone, and decided to take a chance.  


“But the thing is, some of dad’s friends had really worshiped Il Ilah,” Aladdin said sadly. “And they couldn’t accept that dad had taken Il Ilah’s place- even if it was what Il Ilah wanted. They wanted their friends and family back, too- but by then, their spirits had moved on, so dad couldn’t bring them back.”  


Ja'far remembered Wahid had mentioned that. “And they blamed him for that?”  


Aladdin nodded. “Because their losses had hurt them so badly.”  


“Still, betraying the person they trusted to lead them…”  


“Maybe it was because they trusted him so much,” Sin suggested. “Then when he couldn’t fix everything, and 'broke’ something so vital to them, it made them turn on him that much faster.”  


“I think that’s true,” Aladdin agreed. “Anyway, three of dad’s closest friends turned on him- Ithnan, Falan and Wahid. And they inspired a lot of others, too. And _they_ were led by someone mom and dad had been best friends with- she’d been like an older sister to them. Her name’s Arba.”  


_Arba… Masrur mentioned her._ Ja'far frowned.  


“What’s she like?” Sin asked. “Arba’s the only one out of the four who Ja'far and I haven’t met yet.”  


“She’s scary,” Aladdin said. “Really strong as a fighter, and also a powerful wizard like my family. People listen to her, and she’ll do anything to bring back Il Ilah. Nothing’s going to change her mind about that- mom and dad tried already.”  


Sin nodded. “I had a feeling we were going to have to fight her anyway. Okay. So how did they seal you into the stone?”  


Aladdin shrugged. “It’s a big blur,” he said apologetically. “I was out exploring, I think.”  


“The three of us were,” Alibaba said. He scowled at his hands. “We got separated while exploring this ruin, and Aladdin was captured. Morgiana and I were beat up pretty badly. Your mom rescued us, Aladdin, then went after you. Next thing we know, Solomon’s gone, too.”  


“So I was bait.”  


“Yeah, pretty much.”  


Aladdin looked as though he’d been punched. Ja'far wanted to help, but he didn’t know what he could possibly say to make something like that better.  


“Does anyone know where Arba is staying?” Sin asked. “She has her claws all over, but she’s got to have some kind of _center_ for everything.”  


“The Kou Empire,” Masrur said quietly.  


“How do you know?” Alibaba asked.  


“Ithnan went there a few times to talk to her. She’s living in the palace,” Masrur explained.  


Dunya nodded. “That makes sense- the Empire’s gained a lot of military _and_ magical strength, the past decade or so.”  


“And it was different magic from what they’ve had before,” Mogamett added. “The style changed rather drastically, and they all but abandoned their older shamanic and druidic practices for casting methods similar to other parts of the world.”  


Yamraiha nodded. “That’s right. Sana noticed that when she visited them ten years ago.”  


“Sana?” Ja'far asked.  


“My older sister,” Yamraiha explained. “She went to the capital as a healer, there had been some kind of attack on the palace. The magic had definitely begun to change _before_ that, so it wasn’t a result of the attack.”  


Sin leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. “Okay. So, our best bet for finding Aladdin’s parents is Arba- if there was a better way, Ugo would have found them, right?”  


“Definitely,” Aladdin agreed.  


“That’s what I thought. Alright. Ja'far and I can go investigate Kou, see if we can find anything without making a mess,” Sin said.  


“Alone?” Aladdin asked.  


“I know you want to help, but bringing you into Arba’s reach would be insane,” Ja'far pointed out gently. “She would just capture you again. The two of us can keep a low profile, get the information we need, and then meet up with the rest of you again.”  


“Exactly,” Sin said, smiling. “Once we know where to find your parents- or defeat Arba, whichever’s easier- then we’ll need all the magic we can get.”  


Aladdin sighed. “I…guess that makes sense. So I should go get uncle Ugo, too.”  


“Isn’t he on the southern continent?” Ja'far asked.  


“It might be a little far, but if I break it into a few steps, I can teleport there and back,” Aladdin replied, shrugging. “It shouldn’t take more than half a day to bring him back here.”  


_He’s only a child, but he can go across the known world_ and back _in half a day?_ Ja'far thought. _And Arba was able to capture and imprison him. The kind of magic everyone’s throwing around like it’s nothing…how am I supposed to keep up with that?_  


_I’m not going to be able to protect all of them, am I?_  


“May I make a suggestion?” Dunya asked.  


“Please do,” Sin replied.  


“Kou has always been greedy for more magical knowledge,” she said. “So why don’t we use that to help investigate them? Yamraiha can go with you to Kou under the pretense of wanting to study there for a little while, with you acting as her guards- that will get you into the palace without any awkward questions. And you’ll have additional help- whether with investigation or fighting your way out if you have to.”  


Ja'far looked over at Yamraiha. “Would that be alright?” _I’ll do better independently, but Sin would do better with an excuse to get himself into the palace._  


“If my Queen wishes it, I’ll be happy to accompany you,” Yamraiha said.  


“I do wish it,” Dunya said. “Arba and those around her have already shown that they have no problems interfering in the affairs of our country; I can’t allow that to happen again.”  


“But if things go poorly, it could cause problems between Mustasim and Kou,” Mogamett said.  


“I trust Yamraiha to be careful.”  


“As you wish, your Majesty,” Yamraiha said. “Don’t worry, father, I’ll be fine.”  


“We’ll protect her,” Sin promised.  


Dunya smiled. “I know that- I would not put Yamraiha at risk otherwise.”  


“Okay, Sinbad and Ja'far and Yamraiha are going. And Aladdin can’t. What about the three of us?” Alibaba asked. “Should we come with you?”  


Ja'far and Sin exchanged looks. _The less people we risk on this, the better,_ Ja'far thought. _And if we have too many people, it’ll look suspicious._  


“You and Morgiana should stay with Aladdin,” Sin said. “I know the two of you can handle anything a wizard can’t, and we absolutely _have_ to make sure Aladdin doesn’t fall back into their hands. Maybe Masrur should stay with you, too.”  


“No.” Masrur shook his head.  


“Why not?” Ja'far asked.  


“I want to go with you.”  


Sin tilted his head. “You’ve seen the palace, right?”  


Masrur nodded.  


“We’ll need anything you can remember about it. And you won’t slow us down, that’s for sure,” Sin mused, thinking aloud. He met Ja'far’s eyes. “I don’t see a problem, do you?”  


“No.”  


“Then it’ll be the four of us going to Kou.” Sin looked over Alibaba. “And you three go to…wherever you’re from.”  


“Alma Torran,” Aladdin chipped in.  


“Alma Torran. Got it. Once we’ve all found out what we need to, then we’ll all meet back here, and come up with a way to free Aladdin’s parents.” Sin looked around at the group. “How does that sound to everyone?”  


There were nods and murmurs of assent all around. “I’ll need to rest before we set out,” Yamraiha said. “I hope that’s alright?”  


Ja'far nodded. “Of course. How soon will you be ready to leave?”  


“Tomorrow morning.”  


“Great,” Sin said. “That’s not bad at all. Now, as far as transport-”  


Yamraiha grinned. “I can teleport us most of the way there. Aladdin’s not the only powerful spellcaster here, you know! I’d get us all the way there, but I haven’t been all the way to Rakushou, so that might complicate things.”  


Mogamett picked up some empty dishes with a wave of his hand, moving them to the side and stacking them neatly. He unrolled a map, pointing. “We’re here right now. And the capital of the Kou Empire, Rakushou, is here.”  


“That’s further than I thought,” Sin said, frowning.  


_Without magic, it would take months to get there,_ Ja'far thought.  


“It’s not so bad,” Yamraiha replied. “I can teleport us to here. From there, it’s not that far- if we use carpets, less than two weeks. And once we find out what we need to, I can get us straight back here.”  


“That’s amazing,” Sin said. “Alright, Aladdin, what about you?”  


Aladdin leaned forward, mostly out of his chair to get a good look at the map. “I’ll need to do a few jumps. Um…here, here and here! That’s not too many. I can go and come back in no time!” He sat back down. “My magic’s a little low, though, so I think we’ll leave when your group does. I want to sleep before moving us across three continents.”  


“Reasonable,” Sin agreed.  


After that, there wasn’t much more to discuss. Yamraiha and Mogamett had magic matters to attend to; Dunya had her country to run. The rest of them decided to spend the rest of the day exploring the elven city.  


It was warm outside- surprisingly so, for early spring. There was so much to see, so many more people walking around… Ja'far couldn’t blame the others for being so excited. Aladdin and Alibaba were practically dragging Morgiana and Masrur from place to place in their excitement.  


Sin was surprisingly quiet, though. Ja'far hung back with him, waiting until the others were preoccupied. “Is something bothering you?” he asked.  


“Sort of,” Sin admitted.  


“What’s wrong?”  


“I honestly don’t know,” Sin said.  


Ja'far raised an eybrow.  


Shrugging, Sin said, “I know how that sounds. I just have a bad feeling.”  


“Alright, but what _kind_ of bad feeling?”  


“Vague and ominous,” Sin replied. “Almost like someone’s watching us, even though I _know_ there’s no one there. I’m just being paranoid, I think.”  


Ja'far frowned. “Should we have one of the wizards check and make sure nothing’s wrong with you?”  


“No, if there was something wrong, they’d have noticed already,” Sin replied. “If I thought there was an actual problem, I’d have mentioned it to you sooner.” He kissed Ja'far. 

“I still feel a little off from earlier, so that’s probably all it is.”  


“What if that’s from the dark magic on Aladdin’s prison?” Ja'far asked.  


Sin smiled. “Will you stop worrying if I ask Yamraiha to check later?”  


“Yes.”  


“Then I will.” Sin pulled him close, kissing him deeply. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s nothing. How was this morning, by the way?”  


Ja'far blinked, thrown by the change in subject. “…This morning?”  


“Yeah, with the Queen and Masrur. He’s really fine?”  


“He took it as well as he could have,” Ja'far said, shrugging. “Most of what he remembered wasn’t so great, apparently. But knowing that there are other Fanalis out there helped.”  


“Masrur’s a strong kid,” Sin said. He grinned. “And not just in the obvious way.”  


Ja'far smiled. “It’s true.”  


“Did you ask the Queen about yourself?” Sin asked gently. “I know you were worried that Ithnan might’ve done some damage before I stopped him…”  


Ja'far shook his head. “No. If I asked her about that, it would open the door for all kinds of things, and I can’t…can’t risk that.”  


“What do you mean?” Sin asked, frowning.  


Not meeting his eyes, Ja'far explained, “There were some things the Guild did… Look, when they said that I had evil 'carved into my bones’, that was not a metaphor. The Queen could see that, see _all_ of it, on me when she was helping Masrur out. She didn’t say my head was tampered with, and I think she would have if she noticed. So there’s no reason to get rid of the rest.”  


“Why do you want to keep it?” Sin asked.  


“Because it makes me stronger, and I need that to protect everyone.”  


Sin kissed the top of his head, hugging him tightly. “And it doesn’t hurt you?”  


“Not anymore.”  


Sin lifted Ja'far’s chin to make sure Ja'far was looking at him. “It’s your choice. Just make sure it’s the right choice for you, and not just for the rest of us. Alright?”  


“I know.”  


“Hey! Are you two just gonna stand around?” Aladdin called out. “You should come see this, it’s so cool-looking!”  


Sin grinned at Ja'far. “Come on, your children are calling.”  


“Oh, so we’ve adopted Aladdin already?”  


“At least for now. I doubt his parents would let us keep him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for all the exposition. but hey, they're headed for Kou! yay!


	24. Chapter twenty-four

The next morning, the group got ready to depart bright and early. Ja'far was the first one up, unsurprisingly. Much as he wanted to spend a little longer in bed, limbs entangled with Sin's, he knew they needed to get going. Freeing himself from Sin was tricky- even in his sleep, Sin had a tendency to cling. Ja'far sighed quietly, watching Sin settle back into the blankets. _I wish we could stay here a little longer,_ he thought wistfully.  


But thoughts like that weren't helpful. Ja'far kissed Sin's forehead before he left to get ready for the day- he could wait a while before he started waking the others.  


However, by the time he was dressed and mostly packed and out in the main room, he wasn't the only one awake. Aladdin came down to join him. “I thought I heard someone down here,” he said, smiling.  


“Good morning,” Ja'far said. “Did you sleep alright?”  


Aladdin shrugged. “I feel like I've been sleeping for months, so I wasn't that tired, I guess.”  


“Makes sense.” Ja'far smiled. “Are you ready for today?”  


“Mmhm! I'm a little nervous, though,” Aladdin admitted. “My first jump's going to be _really_ long.”  


“Is there a way you can make it shorter?” Ja'far asked. He sat down on one of the comfortable chairs; Aladdin came over to sit with him. “I mean, I don't know how this works, I'm not a wizard.”  


“I have to know where I'm teleporting to,” Aladdin explained. “So does Lady Yam, which is why she isn't taking you guys straight to Rakushou.”  


_Yam...? Oh, Yamraiha._ “That makes sense. So you're limited by how far north you've been.”  


Aladdin nodded. “Yup. I _might_ be able to read something from Morg or Alibaba's memories, but I've never tried it before, and now is a bad time to get lost testing it out.”  


“As long as you're sure you can make that first jump,” Ja'far said.  


“I should be okay.” Aladdin sighed deeply. “...Just...with everything else, I'm really worried. Mom and dad are...”  


Ja'far reached over to pet Aladdin's hair. “I know,” he said gently. “But you can't worry about that right now, alright? Just focus on one step at a time. And trust the people who want to help you. I promise, my group will find out everything we can, so we can free your parents as quickly as possible.”  


“Thanks,” Aladdin said quietly, leaning against Ja'far's shoulder. “And...thank you so much for looking out for Alibaba and Morg. I'm really glad they met you and Sinbad.”  


“I'm glad we met them, too,” Ja'far said, smiling.  


Aladdin took a deep breath, calming himself. “...I guess we should start getting the others up, huh?”  


“Probably, yeah.” Ja'far studied Aladdin a moment. _He's handling this with a lot more grace than any kid should have to._ “Alright. We'll get the group upstairs first.”  


They went upstairs, to where most of the group was sleeping. Ja'far couldn't help smiling; Alibaba had somehow ended up practically lying across the other two, with his head pillowed on Masrur's stomach and his legs and Morgiana's tangled together. Aladdin laughed. “Alibaba's a pretty active sleeper, isn't he?”  


“I'm amazed they're putting up with that,” Ja'far said.  


“Morg usually sleeps through it. I guess Masrur's the same way.” Aladdin walked over to the bed. “Come on, guys! It's time to get up!”  


There was a distressed whine from Alibaba, and Masrur hid his face under a pillow. Morgiana sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “It's morning already?” she asked.  


“Yup! C'mon, we could have gotten you up earlier, but we were being nice,” Aladdin said, grinning.  


“Come on, Alibaba,” Ja'far said. “Masrur, hiding isn't going to get you anywhere. We need to get moving.”  


Alibaba opened his eyes to frown at Ja'far. “Why.”  


Morgiana untangled her legs from Alibaba's. She got up, stretching her arms over her head. “Do you want me to...?”  


Immediately, Alibaba sat up. “I'm awake, don't tip the bed over!”  


Hiding a smile, Ja'far replied, “Well, you might be, but Masrur isn't.”  


“I'm awake.”  


“Much better. Morgiana, Masrur, remember to put the beds back where they were before we leave, alright?” Ja'far sighed. “...I'll get Sin out of bed. Wish me luck.”  


“Good luck.”  


“Don't take too long!”  


“I'll try.” Ja'far went back down to his and Sin's room.  


But to his surprise, Sin was already awake. “The kids up?” he asked, yawning.  


“Yeah.” Ja'far frowned, studying Sin. “...Are you alright? You look...off.”  


“Mmhm. I think I had a nightmare or something.” Sin came over to Ja'far, pulling him into his arms. “You've been up a while, huh?”  


“I wanted to get ready early.” Ja'far leaned up and kissed Sin. “We're going somewhere new again, aren't you excited?”  


Sin smiled. “Of course I am. I'd never really heard of the Kou Empire before, and now I get to go see it! How could I _not_ be excited?” He nuzzled Ja'far's hair. “I'm just not awake yet. It's early. You know me.”  


“True.” Ja'far started to pull away with a sigh. “Come on. Let's get ready to go.”  


But Sin wasn't having that; he tightened his arms around Ja'far, keeping him close. “Nope. I'm keeping you right here with me,” he declared, grinning.  


_“Sin.”_ Ja'far sighed, exasperated.  


“You love me.”  


“Yes, I do. Now let go and finish getting dressed,” Ja'far replied, unable to hold back a smile.  


Sin kissed the tip of one horn. “Yes, dear.” He let Ja'far go reluctantly. “You know, we're not going to have much time to ourselves for the foreseeable future. It's not my fault I want to take advantage of what I can.”  


“I know.” Ja'far sat down on the edge of the bed. “...I don't like it, either. But with what we're doing, it's not like we can do much about it.”  


“Well, at least we'll be on the same mission.”  


“True.”  


It didn't take the group long to get packed up, and they ate a quick breakfast before they went to meet up with Yamraiha. When they arrived outside the tower where the wizards' workrooms were, she was there already, speaking with Mogamett, the Queen, and another woman Ja'far didn't recognize. She was human, and looked like she was in her forties. Her braided, dark hair was streaked with grey. The most unusual thing about her, though, was her left arm. It appeared to be made of wood, carved with runes that still glowed, even though the carvings were faded with age.  


Yamraiha smiled at them as they entered. “Good morning. Are we ready to go?”  


“Yeah. Anything you need to do before we go?” Sin asked.  


“No, I'm ready.” Yamraiha turned to the human woman with a smile. “Sana, thanks for the advice. I'll message you if I come up with any more questions.”  


“So you're going to be messaging me constantly, I suppose,” Sana replied, smiling. She hugged Yamraiha. “Be careful out there, sis.”  


“I will.” Yamraiha hugged Mogamett. “Don't worry, father. I'll be in touch where I can be.”  


Mogamett smiled. “Good.” He looked up, meeting Sin's eyes. “Take care of my daughter.”  


“I promise,” Sin said.  


Yamraiha picked up three backpacks, bringing them over to the group. “Could you three hold these for me? I was trying to pack light, but we _do_ need to make it obvious that I'm there to do research, and of course we'll need supplies for the road...”  


Masrur picked them all up easily. “...They're light.”  


“They're magic.” Yamraiha turned, bowing to the Queen. “Your Majesty, I will take my leave.” She straightened, smiling. “Take care of yourself, okay Dunya?”  


Dunya smiled. “I will. All of you, please be careful. Returning safely is the most important; if you have to retreat, then there is no shame in doing so, understand?”  


“Understood.”  


Sin turned to Alibaba. “Alright. We'll meet you back here as soon as we can,” he promised, grinning. More seriously, he added, “Stick close to Aladdin, alright? As long as you three are together, I know you'll be fine.”  


Alibaba nodded. “Yeah. Be careful, okay?”  


“That's the plan.”  


“Alright, everyone who's coming with me, form a circle over here,” Yamraiha said. She held out her hands. Sin took one, while Ja'far took Sin's.  


Masrur hesitated a moment, casting a look over his shoulder at Morgiana. She smiled at him, and he nodded. “We'll return.” He took Ja'far's hand, and then Yamraiha's, completing the circle.  


Yamraiha closed her eyes. She began to speak quietly, each foreign word pronounced precisely. As Ja'far watched, everything was lit with a blue glow. The glow steadily intensified, until everything was blotted out. Everything but the four of them.  


The glow vanished abruptly, and they were...not where they'd started.  


Ja'far stared around him, fascinated. The air was cooler than it had been in Mustasim, and instead of a forest, they were on an open plain, next to a road. Off in the distance, he could see mountains. Even the birds sounded different. There were farms, it looked like, scattered around them.  


“We're outside the town of Zhen,” Yamraiha said, breaking the silence. “I came this far with Sana, when she came here years ago.”  


Sin was grinning. “Yamraiha, this is _amazing!”_  


“Teleportation isn't that difficult,” she protested. Ja'far noticed she was smiling at the ground, face slightly flushed.  


“Maybe for you, but seriously- this is awesome!” Sin laughed. “You're incredible.”  


“Well...thank you,” Yamraiha said, almost shyly. She shook her head. “Anyway, we ought to get moving! Masrur, one of those packs has a carpet in it.”  


Masrur shrugged the packs off, letting Yamraiha poke through them. It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for, and she pulled a large carpet out of the pack. 

“Here we go,” she said, unrolling it.  


_That's so much bigger than the one Sin and I had before,_ Ja'far thought. _Good thing, too, if all four of us are riding on it._ “It's still weird how much we can fit into magic packs,” he commented.  


“Right?” Sin agreed. “Yamraiha, do you need us to do anything?”  


She picked up one of the packs. “Put all our belongings in the center. We'll sit around them- that way nothing falls off while we're flying.”  


They got everything ready, and Yamraiha gave the carpet a command. It rose into the air and started forward, following the road. Yamraiha sighed quietly. “Alright, we're on course. Now for the less interesting part- sitting on a flying rug for two weeks,” she said.  


“Hey, at least the view's nice,” Sin replied. “Speaking of, though, we need to make sure at least one person's keeping watch at all times.”  


“Finally, you're starting to act responsible,” Ja'far said. “I'll keep watch for now.”  


Sin grinned at him. “Your paranoia's rubbing off on me,” he joked.  


“I suppose it makes sense to keep watch,” Yamraiha said. “But on the other hand, your enemies won't have any reason to think you're here, will they?”  


“No, we should've thrown them off by teleporting,” Sin said. “On the other hand, there's no reason to be careless. Our enemies aren't the only threat, after all.”  


“We don't know what kind of monsters live here,” Ja'far added. “Even the most populated areas on the central continent have them, so there's going to be some in the Empire.”  


“Oh.” Yamraiha sighed. “There shouldn't be many along major roads- Kou's military _is_ strong, after all- but you're right. Keeping an eye out is probably a good idea.”  


The ride wasn't particularly exciting; there wasn't all that much to do but sit there. Ja'far didn't mind all that much, himself; since he was on watch, that was more or less what he was supposed to be doing. Masrur seemed content to just watch the road go by- or nap. And Yamraiha had pulled out a book as soon as she'd decided the carpet didn't need constant guidance to follow the road.  


Sin, however, was clearly bored. Ja'far was sitting with his back against Sin's, and he could feel his partner fidgeting. Or maybe it wasn't just boredom; he could tell Sin was looking around just as intently as he was, and there was an unusual tension about him. As much as Ja'far wanted to ask him about it, he wasn't sure he wanted to ask in front of the others. Sin wouldn't lie to him (and realizing he believed that was something of a shock), but Ja'far had a feeling that this was something Sin would play off as nothing in front of the others. Ja'far's hand found Sin's, fingers twining together to offer what reassurance he could without words. Sin squeezed his hand gently and relaxed a little.  
It wasn't until they stopped for dinner that night that Ja'far got a chance to ask him about it. Masrur was fetching water, and Yamraiha had gone with him to wash up. “What's bothering you?” Ja'far asked.  


“It's still that feeling from before,” Sin replied. “Like we're being watched. Or maybe me specifically.” He sighed. “...Yamraiha checked me over last night, I don't have anything weird on me. Maybe I'm losing it.”  


Ja'far frowned. “I doubt it. Your instincts are usually good, so maybe there _is_ something keeping an eye on us.” He brushed Sin's hair out of his eyes. “What if it's not...bad? It started after Yamraiha pulled all those enchantments off the stone, right? It could be Aladdin's family, for all we know.”  


Smiling, Sin said, “You're right. We'll still keep our guard up, though, alright?”  


“Oh, definitely.” Ja'far kissed Sin. “Now, _you_ need something to do. You're going to drive us all insane if you keep fidgeting like you did today.”  


“I mean, I could come up with ideas, but Masrur and Yamraiha are riding with us,” Sin teased.  


Ja'far sighed deeply. He knew Sin was being deliberately ridiculous to get a reaction out of him. “Sin. Behave yourself.”  


“I'll consider it.” Sin kissed him. “Anyway, I don't know what I can do. Yamraiha's books look like they're all in elvish or something, so I couldn't read them if I borrowed 'em.”  


“You've been tapping into magic recently,” Ja'far said thoughtfully. “Why not ask her to teach you a thing or two?”  


Sin blinked. “Huh. You know, that's not a bad idea. I'll ask her.”  


“Good.” _You learning from someone who knows what she's doing is a lot less worrying than you pulling things out of thin air mid-battle._  


“You'll feel better that way, huh?” Sin asked, smiling wryly.  


Ja'far nodded. “Honestly, yes.” He looked at Sin apologetically. “Not that I don't trust you, I just...”  


Sin smiled. “Don't worry, I get it.”  


A few minutes later, Masrur and Yamraiha came back. “Hey, Yamraiha,” Sin said. “I was wondering, would you be interested in teaching me a little magic while we're flying?”  


Yamraiha blinked at him. “I...really? You want to learn magic?” she asked.  


“It would be helpful,” Sin explained. He smiled. “Besides, I already know a little. Learning the basics would make me feel better about using it.”  


“Oh! Well.” She thought for a moment. “I wouldn't mind. As long as you're serious about learning. We can start tomorrow morning, if you'd like.”  


“I would. Thank you.”  


“It's my pleasure!”


	25. Chapter twenty-five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I didn't post a chapter last week, real life happened. mostly in a good way, luckily! though now I'm kinda sick, so this chapter isn't as polished as I was hoping it would be. sorry about that!

“The first thing you need to understand is that there are many different ways to use magic,” Yamraiha said as they traveled the next day. She had a book open on her lap, but her attention was fixed on Sin. Sin was listening with interest. “The two main types of magic are 'arcane' and 'divine', but within each type are all kinds of variations. I can teach you how I cast spells, but it's up to you to adapt to casting them in a way that suits you.”  


Sin nodded. “Alright, but why wouldn't I cast them the way you do?”  


“My method comes from years of study, development of arcane theorems and formulas, and extensive research,” she replied, smiling. “But you seem to pick up magic the way a cat picks up burrs, and cast spells using little more than confidence and stubbornness.”  


“You've been talking to Ja'far, haven't you?”  


“Not about that. He did let me ramble about evocation magic to him so I could stay awake for our watch last night, though,” she said.  


Ja'far smiled slightly. Even though he was on watch, there was no harm in eavesdropping on the lesson- actually, Yamraiha had suggested he do that. _'After all, you might find it useful!'_ she'd said. _'Sinbad says you have some magic that mostly manifests through your weapons. Maybe a little theory will give you some new ideas.'_ That suggestion had come after almost an hour where she'd been discussing the merits of a 'chain lightning' spell versus those of a regular lightning bolt, so Ja'far was a little surprised he'd remembered it.  


“What's evocation magic?” Sin asked.  


Yamraiha smiled brightly. “I'm glad you asked, because that's what we're going to be starting with!” she said. “Now, evocation is one of the schools of arcane magic. It taps into your energy, and the energy of the world around you, to create a desired effect. Evocation is one of the more useful types of combat magic. Ja'far mentioned you'd cast fire, ice and lightning spells in the heat of battle.”  


Sin nodded. “That's right. Though I know the lightning and ice came from two of my patron deities,” he said. “The fire was mine, though.”  


“Good to know.” Yamraiha looked thoughtful. “And what you cast to protect the others in my workroom was divine in nature- probably natural protection, you being an aasimar and all. It felt like a modified light spell; impressive that you did that on the spot.”  


“What's an aasimar?” Masrur asked. Ja'far was a little startled; he'd thought Masrur was napping again.  


“Well, you know what Ja'far is, right? Sinbad's basically the good version,” Yamraiha said. She winced. “That sounded _way_ less rude in my head. I'm sorry, Ja'far!”  


Ja'far shrugged. “Don't worry about it. So, basically, one of Sin's ancestors married an angel or something?”  


“Something like that. It gives him an affinity for the divine.” Yamraiha sighed. “...Dunya could tell you more practical information about divine magic, but I _do_ know some theories. But that's a tangent we don't need right now. We're talking about evocation.”  


Sin laughed. “I mean, you're the teacher. So where are we starting?”  


“With a very basic spell,” Yamraiha replied. She held up a hand, and three spheres of blue light appeared, floating gently. “This is called 'dancing lights'. One of the simplest spells there is- well, alright, 'flare' is simpler, but I don't want to blind everyone while you're learning.”  


“Appreciated,” Ja'far said quietly.  


******  


Sin was a quick learner, to the surprise of no one. Yamraiha spent the next few days teaching him a few basic spells- what she called 'cantrips'- that Sin picked up easily. Though he did run into a few snags- most notably, his armor.  


“There's a _reason_ most spellcasters- well, arcane ones, at least- don't wear any armor,” Yamraiha explained, mildly exasperated. “It gets in the way, and disrupts how you cast spells! With what you're wearing, I estimate there's a good ten percent chance that you'll fail to cast any given spell!”  


“Well, if I don't wear it in battle, there's a good chance I'm going to get myself stabbed,” Sin pointed out reasonably. “Ja'far might save the enemy the trouble, if I do something that stupid.”  


“Isn't it more practical to practice while wearing it, since he's usually got it on anyway?” Ja'far asked.  


Yamraiha sighed. “I mean, I suppose so. It'll be harder, though.”  


“That's fine with me.”  


Masrur sat up, sniffing the air. “...There's some kind of monster up ahead.”  


Ja'far's weapons were in his hands immediately. “How far?”  


“Not far. Near the trees up ahead.”  


“Any idea what?” Sin asked.  


Masrur shrugged. “I don't know, but it smells like there's a lot of them.”  


“Should we go around them?” Yamraiha asked.  


“There's a person there. Fighting them.”  


“That's a no. Speed this thing up, Yamraiha,” Sin said.  


A few minutes later, they could see what they were up against. There were two huge creatures, which looked a lot like dragons- except each one had over a dozen heads. 

“Hydras,” Yamraiha whispered. “Oh, no, that poor idiot- he must keep attacking the heads!”  


As she was speaking, the swordsman facing the beasts cut off one of the many heads attacking him. Two more grew back in its place.  


“How do we stop it?” Sin asked.  


“Magic. Destroying the main bodies works, too, but it's impossible for him to get behind them at this point.”  


“Got it. Ja'far-”  


Ja'far nodded. “Masrur and I'll keep them occupied.”  


“Be careful,” Sin said.  


“'Careful' would be running very far in the opposite direction,” Ja'far pointed out.  


Yamraiha guided the carpet down lower, and Ja'far and Masrur jumped off. Ja'far didn't hesitate, didn't wait to see the others fly away; he dashed into the fray, throwing his knives in an attempt to blind at least a few of the heads. Many of the hydras' heads turned towards him, like grass rippling in the wind.  


“Hey, are you crazy?!” The swordsman they'd jumped in to rescue sounded exhausted- though despite that, he still seemed to be moving well. Not badly hurt yet.  


“No, I know this is a bad idea,” Ja'far replied, jumping out of the way of a couple of the closer heads.  


Masrur kicked one of the beasts, making it stumble into the other; the hydras snapped at each other irritably, even as some of their heads kept trying to grab their prey. “They've slowed down a lot, with all the extra heads,” the swordsman said breathlessly. “Maybe if I keep cutting off heads, they won't be able to move eventually.”  


Ja'far ducked a pair of snapping jaws, trying to ignore the rancid stench of the hydra's breath. “Or you'll get eaten first.” He stabbed two more of the hydra's eyes. _This isn't going to get us anywhere- Sin and Yamraiha had better move fast!_  


“I'm try- whoa! Trying to stay positive, here!” Teeth snapped shut barely an inch over his head as he stumbled, falling to one knee.  


“Don't stop moving!”  


“Kinda hard at the moment!”  


Ja'far grabbed him by the back of his tunic and hauled him to his feet. But that meant Ja'far had to stop moving for a minute himself. Sharp teeth tore his sleeve, barely grazing his skin. “Keep moving. We'll be able to stop soon,” he promised, ignoring the injury.  


“Wha-?”  


“We're not so stupid we'd jump in without a plan.”  


As if on cue, a crack of thunder split the sky. Ja'far grinned, pausing to watch twin bolts of lightning flash down, striking the hydras from behind. Both beasts roared in pain, but their many-voiced cries were cut off by a sphere of flame descending upon them.  


The fireball roasted the hydras more or less instantly. Ja'far sighed with relief before turning to the swordsman. “Are you alright?”  


“More or less, sure. What about you? Your arm's bleeding.”  


“It's nothing.” Ja'far looked around. “Masrur?”  


The Fanalis came over. He didn't seem injured. “Breaking their necks didn't work like I thought.”  


Ja'far nodded. “It was worth a try, though. You're alright?”  


“Mmhm.”  


There was a rush of air, and Ja'far looked up. The carpet came to a stop next to them, hovering a few feet off the ground. “Anyone hurt?” Sin asked, leaning down to grin at them.  


“Barely scratched,” Ja'far replied, shrugging.  


Sin hopped down, landing lightly in front of him. “Let me see,” he said, taking Ja'far's arm and examining it. He tapped it with the wand, and it healed quickly.  


“Like I said, it's just a scratch,” Ja'far replied, rolling his eyes. “You're worrying too much.”  


“Says you,” Sin replied, grinning. He looked over at the swordsman. “You alright?”  


“Uh...yeah. Thanks,” he replied. He smiled. “Seriously, I owe you all. My name's Sharrkan.”  


Sinbad smiled. “I'm Sinbad. This is Ja'far, Masrur's...ignoring us, I guess. Oh, and the woman flying the carpet is Yamraiha.”  


“It's great to meet you! I mean, especially given the circumstances.” Sharrkan laughed a little nervously. “But really, if there's anything I can do to thank you...”  


Masrur looked over at him. “...How much gold do you have?” he asked, deadpan.  


Sinbad snorted. Ja'far sighed. “We are not taking his money. Sharrkan, are you traveling alone?” he asked.  


“Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm headed for Rakushou, I've heard I might be able to pick up some mercenary work there,” he explained, running a hand through pale hair.  


_He has pointed ears,_ Ja'far noticed. _Not as dramatic as the Queen's, or the other elves we saw. They're like Yamraiha's- I wonder if he's a half-elf, too?_  


“Where are you from, anyway? I can't place your accent,” Sin said.  


“Heliohapt. It's on the southern continent- there's a big ol' desert in the north-west, and we live there,” Sharrkan explained. “But I'm, um, traveling.” His hesitation and slightly lost expression suggested there was a lot more to it than that.  


Sin met Ja'far's eyes, and raised his eyebrows, questioning. Ja'far shrugged. Sin smiled. “We're heading for Rakushou, ourselves,” he said.  


Yamraiha sighed. “Do you keep every person you meet on the road?”  


“Only the ones I get a good feeling about,” Sin replied, amused. “Besides, I didn't say we were, did I?”  


“You and Ja'far did the _look,”_ Masrur said.  


Sharrkan blinked. “Um...huh?”  


“Do you want a ride to Rakushou?” Ja'far asked. “We're heading there, and it would be nice to have an extra set of eyes keeping watch. I believe that's what Sin was hoping to convey.”  


“Oh.” He laughed. “I mean, sure! How could I say no? But are you guys sure you want me to come with you?”  


“I've got a good feeling about you,” Sin replied. “And my instincts are usually good, I've been told.”  


The newly-expanded group settled in on the carpet, continuing on their way. “So where are you people from?” Sharrkan asked. “I mean, Sinbad, you've gotta be from Partevia, right? Your armor looks like officers' armor...um, some of it, anyway.”  


Sin laughed. “Yeah, I'm from Partevia. I'm surprised you recognized the armor, though, since I've only got bits and pieces of it.”  


Ja'far hid a smile. He'd gathered that Sin had scavenged the random assortment of armor he wore; most of the pieces had clearly come from different sets. And different ranks of officer, though they were all Partevian. The vambraces matched, though- bronzed steel, with a scale-like pattern. They looked like they'd come from a general- and knowing Sin, they probably had. Sharrkan's armor was different- flexible leather with metal scales attached to it. It looked very light, but that might have been because he'd come from a desert country.  


“I tried to pass through on my way north, but I ended up having to take the long way around,” Sharrkan explained. He grinned. “What did you do, beat up a few officers and steal their armor?”  


“More or less,” Sin replied. He traced the scale pattern on one of his vambraces, grinning down at them as if he'd remembered something amusing.  


“Remind me not to piss you off,” Sharrkan said. “What about you, wizard girl? Where are you from?”  


“Mustasim,” Yamraiha replied, not looking up from her book. “And I'm Yamraiha, not 'wizard girl'.”  


“Okay. Yamraiha, then.”  


“Better.”  


Sharrkan sighed, clearly not sure what to say to actually engage her. He gave Sin a pleading look; Sin subtly indicated the book Yamraiha was reading. “So...what are you reading?”  


“It's about the divination practices of the Reim Empire.”  


“...Is divination the thing with the bird guts?”  


Yamraiha looked up. “...That's called haruspex, but yes, that's right. How did you know that?”  


“My family is superstitious.” Sharrkan shrugged. “So...do you do that?”  


“What, haruspex? Oh gods, no. I use a water mirror, it's much more accurate. And less messy. And less likely to result in dead birds.” She tilted her head. “Don't tell me you're interested in magic.”  


“Um...not exactly? I just sorta wanted to talk to you.”  


Yamraiha sighed. “Knew it.” She resumed reading.  


Sharrkan's shoulders slumped.  


*****  


Sharrkan was very lively. Unfortunately, he and Yamraiha didn't get along all that well- and because Sin thought it was kind of funny, Ja'far was the one who got to break up their arguments. Masrur wasn't particularly fond of him either, as far as Ja'far could tell (though he hadn't ruled out the possibility that Masrur just liked teasing Sharrkan).  


On the plus side, Sharrkan was very enthusiastic about weapons, and was therefore always willing to be a sparring partner. Sin especially learned a lot from the experience- Sharrkan had a lot more formal sword training than he did. And, much as he'd deny it if asked, Ja'far found it interesting to watch Sin training. Well. Maybe interesting wasn't _quite_ the word he wanted.  


“Is it that fascinating?” Yamraiha asked one evening.  


Ja'far looked over at her. “What?”  


“Watching them get all sweaty.” She waved a hand at Sin and Sharrkan dismissively. “Magic's better. I guess it's good that Sinbad is learning both, but...”  


“Magic and mundane combat both have advantages,” Ja'far replied. “Sin finds it practical to learn both- I agree with him, honestly. Though specialists like you and Sharrkan have advantages, too.”  


“Hmmm.” Yamraiha giggled suddenly. “It's weird to compare me with that idiot, though.”  


Ja'far resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Not really. You're both very strong in your respective specialties. You both study hard- even if it's in different ways.”  


Her gaze drifted to Sharrkan and Sin again. “...I guess. At least I can keep my shirt on while I practice.”  


“Mmm. I have a feeling they're showing off.” _And I may be falling for it. Sin's a damn tease, he_ knows _we can't do anything out here on the road..._  


Yamraiha sighed wistfully. “...He's annoying. I guess I don't have to put up with him much longer.”  


“Do you really hate him?” Ja'far asked.  


“...Not exactly.” Yamraiha sighed again. “He's annoying, but I guess he's alright.”  


“You know, if you two didn't argue so much, you'd make an unstoppable team,” Ja'far commented. “Between your magic and his sword skills, you two could fight almost anything.”  


Yamraiha looked away, flustered. “Maybe.”  


Deciding not to push the idea, Ja'far let his attention drift back to Sin. It was a good thing Masrur was on watch, given how distracting Sin was. An elephant could sneak up on Ja'far. Sin's muscular arms flexed, and Ja'far was reminded of how those arms felt, wrapped around him, holding him...  


_I'm being ridiculous,_ Ja'far thought. _This shouldn't be attractive, he's training, what is wrong with me?_  


After a little while, Sin came over to him. “Sharrkan's done for now. Want to spar a bit?” he asked. There was something mischievous and enticing about his grin.  


“Not really.” Ja'far leaned back to look up at Sin. _I don't want to spar, I want to get you alone for a little while..._  


Sin knelt in front of him, grinning. “You sure?” he teased. “I thought you were watching so intently because you wanted to join us.”  


Ja'far sighed deeply. “Go wash up.”  


“You could come wi-”  


Ja'far pulled him in for a kiss- longer and more heated than he'd planned on. “Go...go get cleaned up. We have second watch, remember?” he said, annoyed that his voice was unsteady just from a little kissing.  


“Okay, okay.” Sin gave him a quick kiss on the nose before he got up.  


“You two are like newlyweds, honestly,” Yamraiha said, amused.  


*****  


Several hours later, the others were asleep; Ja'far and Sin stood watch. “Do you still feel watched?” Ja'far asked.  


Sin shook his head. “Not exactly.”  


“What does _that_ mean?”  


“I don't know. I get a really weird feeling when I'm getting lessons from Yamraiha- like I'm re-learning something, almost. Or I'm borrowing some of my understanding from someone else. And a lot of the time, it feels like there's some kind of...echo? Resonance?” Sighing, he said, “That sounds worse when I say it out loud. The creepy, 'being watched' feeling is basically gone. And the rest is mostly noticeable around magic. When I'm with you, or doing sword stuff, it's completely gone.”  


Ja'far frowned at him. “So...what, is some kind of divine inheritance kicking in to help you learn magic?”  


Sin shrugged. “Maybe. I mean, I haven't learned magic in any formal way before this, so it's not impossible.”  


“Hmm. You're still worried, though.”  


“Yeah.” Sin smiled. “You can tell that easily, huh?”  


“Of course.” Ja'far brushed Sin's hair out of his eyes. “Yamraiha doesn't think anything's off, right?”  


“Right.” Sin caught Ja'far's hand, giving his fingers a quick kiss. “And she'd know, she's an expert when it comes to magic. Do me a favor?”  


“Of course.” Ja'far smiled. “...Within reason.”  


Sin laughed. “For a second I got my hopes up! Anyway, could you keep an eye on me during magic lessons from now on? And tell me if I do anything weird. Yamraiha may know magic, but you know _me.”_  


“Sounds reasonable.”  


“Thanks.” Sin grinned at him. “You know what's _not_ reasonable?”  


From that look on his face, it was clear the serious part of the conversation was being abandoned. “What's not reasonable?” Ja'far asked, sighing.  


“I don't get to do most of the things I want to while we're out on the road.” Sin sighed dramatically. “And _then,_ once we get to Rakushou, we're going to be too busy. Though it _would_ be impressive if we managed to do anything in the palace itself...”  


Ja'far rolled his eyes. “Is sex _all_ you think about?”  


“Sometimes, you make it impossible to think of anything else,” Sin replied.  


Shaking his head, Ja'far turned away. If Sin saw him blushing, he'd probably keep teasing him. “You're impossible. Anyway, about when we investigate the palace- there was something I wanted to ask.”  


“What is it?”  


“I've been thinking. I'd be wasted if I stayed with you and Yamraiha.” Ja'far folded his arms inside his sleeves. “After all, I'm trained for stealth missions and working independently. We should use that to make the most of this chance.”  


Sin gently turned Ja'far to face him again. “You want to investigate alone?” he asked, concerned. “That's a serious risk, I don't know if it's worth it.”  


“I think it will be.” Ja'far met Sin's eyes steadily. “Yes, it's a bit of a risk, but someone invisible and silent can go places you or Yamraiha or Masrur would never be able to. And thanks to you, I can be invisible in a very literal sense.”  


“If you get caught sneaking around like that, there's no way you can play it off as a mistake,” Sin pointed out. “You'd be killed.”  


“I know.” _I doubt I'd be killed before they tortured me for information._ Ja'far's hands tightened on his wire-covered arms. “This isn't something I'm suggesting lightly, Sin. You have to understand that. We need to work quickly.”  


Sin shook his head. “Still, I don't want to put you in that kind of danger.”  


“Trust me. I can handle this.” Ja'far smiled. “It's only been a few months since I stopped doing this stuff regularly, I'm sure I haven't gotten rusty _that_ quickly.”  


“Right, I know.” Sin frowned thoughtfully. “...If I agree with this, would you be able to report to me so we can confer?”  


Ja'far nodded. “That's part of the point- we'll use the information we all gather to figure out how to move forward, who to keep an eye on. That sort of thing.”  


“And you're sure you'll be alright?”  


“Yes.”  


With a sigh, Sin nodded. “...Alright, then. I feel like I'm going to regret this, but I understand why you're willing to risk it.”  


_I wonder if you do,_ Ja'far thought. _If I take on the more dangerous part, the less you and the others have to put yourselves in harm's way. Even if I don't have the magic you and Yamraiha do, this is something I can do to keep you safe._ He relaxed somewhat, though, relieved that Sin hadn't argued as much as he'd thought. “Thanks for trusting me.”  


“Of course I trust you.” Sin hugged him tightly. “You more than anyone, Ja'far.”  


“I know.” _Even if anything happens, I'll still find a way back to you. I promise._


	26. Chapter twenty-six

When the group arrived in Rakushou about a week later, it was late evening. They had put the carpet away before they reached the city, trying to avoid more attention than they needed to attract. Though Yamraiha disliked all the walking; she wasn't used to it, and her feet started hurting quickly. Yamraiha suggested that Sin and Ja'far not wear dragon teeth so openly; apparently, the Kou held them to be sacred, so it probably wouldn't go over well. Ja'far and Sin reluctantly put away their dragon teeth- Ja'far let Sin hold onto his.  


Sin decided that, because it was late, they would find an inn to stay at for the night, and go on to their business in the morning. Everyone agreed- out of exhaustion, or, in Sharrkan's and Ja'far's cases, an unwillingness to leave the group any sooner than they had to.  


Once they'd checked into an inn and cleaned themselves up, they met up for dinner. Food revived them, of course. “I can't believe you and the others walked all the way to Mustasim,” Yamraiha commented. “Just walking a few miles was tiring...”  


“You got tired after half an hour!” Sharrkan laughed. “All that magic, and you can't walk a couple hours without getting worn out.”  


“Oh, shut up! At least I have a fully-functional brain,” she retorted.  


“Do you, though?” Sharrkan asked around a mouth full of food. “I think your head's stuffed with spellbooks.”  


“I don't see how that's supposed to insult me.”  


Ja'far sighed. “Don't argue while you're eating.”  


“Sorry,” they said, more or less simultaneously.  


“So Sharrkan, do you know where you'll look for work?” Sin asked.  


Sharrkan shrugged. “I know the military has a few mercenary units, and they pay better than most hired security. I've got some recommendations from former employers, so getting a position shouldn't be a problem.”  


“That's good, then.”  


“Yeah. What about the rest of you?” Sharrkan asked. “You've been pretty vague about what brings you here.”  


Yamraiha sighed. “I'm here to study, of course. The Kou Empire has some _really_ interesting magic. The others are accompanying me- a girl traveling alone attracts too much attention, after all.”  


“I mean, I guess.” Sharrkan looked at the others, eyebrows raised. “...But you came from Mustasim, so why aren't you with a bunch of elves?”  


“Not everyone who lives there is an elf, you know,” Yamraiha replied, frowning. “A lot of humans live there, too- and people who are both.”  


“On the other hand,” Ja'far pointed out, “the three of us don't live there. We were specifically hired for this.”  


Sharrkan blinked. “So...Mustasim doesn't think humans and other races coexisting is...weird?”  


“Not at all!” Yamraiha said impatiently. “People of all kinds live _everywhere,_ so it doesn't make sense.”  


“Huh.” Sharrkan looked like he was going to ask something else, but changed his mind and took the plate of dumplings from Masrur instead. “Hey, don't hog those- I've only had one!”  


“Because you were talking.” Masrur tugged the plate back towards himself.  


“Sheesh, you're _such_ a rude kid!” Sharrkan complained. He stole a dumpling off the plate- playing tug-of-war with a plate would just end with a mess. “Didn't your parents teach you manners?”  


Ja'far was about to say something, but Masrur shrugged. “They're trying.”  


Sin and Yamraiha tried not to laugh- their success was debatable, though. Ja'far sighed, relieved that Masrur was making a joke out of it instead of getting upset by the question.  


Sharrkan looked over at Ja'far. “Well, good luck with that, I guess,” he said, grinning.  


“Um...thanks.”  


After dinner, they were all inclined to linger a bit; chatting about nothing in particular for a bit longer than they should have. Eventually, Sharrkan got up to go. “Alright. I gotta show up bright and early to impress my hopefully-future employers, so I should get some sleep,” he said reluctantly. “Traveling with you all was great, I hope I run into you guys again sometime.”  


“I'm sure you will,” Sin said. “We'll be looking forward to it.”  


Ja'far smiled. “Good luck tomorrow.”  


“Try not to die.”  


“Was that an insult, or did you actually mean that?”  


Masrur shrugged. Sharrkan sighed.  


“Hey...if things don't work out here, go to Mustasim,” Yamraiha said. “You'd be welcome there. Even if you _are_ a knucklehead.”  


“And for a moment, I thought she was going to say it without insulting him,” Ja'far murmured to Sin.  


“She tried,” Sin replied quietly, amused.  


Sharrkan grinned. “Like I'm going to need a backup plan. Don't worry, bookworm- I'll be fine.”  


Once he'd gone, Yamraiha went to leave, as well. “Wait a second,” Sin said. “Now that he's left, I need to let you and Masrur know there's been a slight change of plans.”  


Yamraiha sat back down. “Oh? What happened?”  


“Nothing's happened, don't worry.” Sin looked around. “Ja'far, can we talk here?”  


“A little. Anyway, the change is that I'm going to look around independently for a while,” he explained. “It'll be faster that way. Don't worry, I'll be in contact with you, and rejoin you when I can. That's all.”  


Yamraiha frowned. “Are you sure that's a good idea?”  


“Yes. We've already discussed it.”  


“I guess if you're sure...”  


“I'm sure. Anyway, that was all we needed to say. We ought to go to bed ourselves- tomorrow's going to be a long day.”  


They split up to go to their rooms. As Ja'far closed and locked the door behind him and Sin, Sin asked, “Are you going to stay here tonight?”  


“Part of it,” Ja'far said. He grinned. “...Don't read too much into that, I want to sleep.”  


“That's okay.” Sin kissed Ja'far deeply, pushing him lightly up against the door. Ja'far buried his hands in Sin's hair, body arching up against Sin's. Hands ran down along Ja'far's sides, pulling a ragged sigh out of him. Sin kissed Ja'far's neck, lifting him easily and bringing him over to the bed. “I'll behave.” He laid Ja'far down, dropping kisses wherever he could reach.  


“...Is this what you call 'behaving'?” Ja'far asked breathlessly. He kissed Sin deeply, holding him tightly against him. It was a little uncomfortable- Sin's armor pinched him a bit- but he didn't mind enough to let go.  


After a little while, Sin pulled away, grinning. “I thought you wanted to sleep.”  


Ja'far groaned. “You're impossible.”  


“And you love me.”  


“That's a given.” Ja'far pushed Sin off him gently. “Seriously, though.”  


Sin got up and began to undo his armor. “I know, I know. You're going to be leaving early, huh?”  


“Yeah, before dawn.”  


“Well, wake me up before you go,” Sin said.  


Ja'far tilted his head. “...Why?”  


“To see you off.” Sin put the last of his armor aside and flopped onto the bed. He propped himself up on his elbows to grin at Ja'far. “I'll go back to sleep once you've left.”  


“I don't doubt it for a moment.” Ja'far leaned in to kiss him. “You know I'm going to come find you as soon as I can. Are you still worried?”  


“I'd have to be stupid not to be worried,” Sin pointed out.  


“Yeah, I know.” Ja'far sighed. “...I should get undressed, but I don't want to move.”  


Sin grinned. “I could help with that.”  


“Should I let you?” Ja'far asked, smiling.  


“I won't turn it into anything you don't want,” Sin promised.  


Ja'far shrugged. “It's not that I don't want it. We just don't really have time,” he said apologetically. “Anyway, it's your turn to indulge my laziness.”  


Laughing, Sin sat up. “You're _never_ lazy, Ja'far.”  


It didn't take long for them to divest each other of their clothes and settle into bed together. Ja'far sighed, relaxing into Sin's arms. His back was pressed to Sin's chest, with Sin's arms tightly around him, holding him securely. “This good?” Sin asked.  


“Mmhmm.” Ja'far wasn't sure he should be so comfortable; after all, they were in enemy territory. Feeling so safe and content was, in the face of that, impractical. Yet here he was, wrapped up in Sin's warmth and scent, and he found his worries about the next day's mission slipping away from him.  


Sleep claimed them both quickly, and before Ja'far knew it, it was time for him to get out of bed. It was still a couple hours before dawn, and the world was still dark and silent. Ja'far knew, though, that the palace wouldn't be either of those. Something that housed so many people wouldn't ever really be silent.  


It took more willpower than he would have liked to convince himself to leave Sin's arms- and more effort to do so without waking him. Ja'far dressed in silence, remembering at the last moment that he shouldn't wear his dragon tooth. He packed only a little food and water- once those ran out, he'd know where and how to acquire more.  


_Should I wake Sin? I mean, he's been so tired..._ Ja'far could see him perfectly in the unlit room, curling into the warm spot Ja'far had left behind. _He'll be angry if I don't, I suppose. Oh well, he_ did _ask me to._  


He leaned in, kissing Sin. It was the easiest way to wake him up. “I'm heading out,” he said quietly.  


Sin pulled him in for another kiss. “Be safe. If I don't hear from you in a couple days, I _will_ tear the place apart to find you,” he warned Ja'far.  


“I'll stay in contact as best I can, I promise.” Ja'far kissed him again. “I love you. Go back to sleep.”  


As if to be arbitrary, Sin sat up. “Say that again.”  


Ja'far blinked, confused. Then he realized what he'd said, and smiled. “I love you, Sin.”  


Sin kissed him tenderly, with such adoration that Ja'far was left breathless. “I love you, too, Ja'far. Now go on, get going. If you put it off much longer, you'll have to convince me all over again.”  


“Alright.” Ja'far stood and headed over to the window. “Stay out of trouble.”  


“I'll try,” Sin said, smiling.  


“Do better than 'try', please,” Ja'far said. He opened the window. “Close this behind me, would you? And don't forget to lock it.”  


Sin dragged himself out of bed with a yawn. “Yeah, okay.”  


Their room was on the ground floor- which certainly simplified this part. He hopped easily over the windowsill. Sin came to the window, leaning out to kiss Ja'far one more time. Ja'far let it linger for a moment before he pulled away. “I'll see you soon”  


“Alright, Ja'far.”  


Ja'far left, moving quickly through the darkened streets. When they'd entered the city, Ja'far had been able to get a rough idea of where the palace was. After all, the place was huge, easily dominating the city. As he walked, he found an empty alley; he ducked in for a moment to activate his invisibility ring. Since there didn't seem to be a limit to how long he could use it, there was no sense waiting to activate it.  


The streets were empty- dawn was a couple hours away, so that was hardly surprising. Ja'far moved like a ghost through the silent streets of Rakushou, observing his surroundings with interest.  


The Imperial Palace was walled off from the rest of the city. It would be easier to scale that wall than the one around the city itself, but Ja'far wasn't planning on going in that way. _Magical protections always have a weakness- no matter how much Yamraiha might disagree with that. I doubt Arba's base of operations would be lacking magical protection. The gates are the most logical weak point- especially where servants go in and out. I'll look for those._  


Because the palace was so vast, it took Ja'far the better part of an hour to walk around to the far side of it. The sky was light with the promise of dawn by the time he found what he was looking for. Ja'far hung back to observe, staying hidden behind a stack of crates (it was instinct to hide himself, even if he was invisible).  


Small groups of servants were entering, along with wagons full of supplies. Each wagon was checked, though the guards all seemed to know the servants more or less by sight. _Makes sense, I'm sure these people have routines... Alright, this shouldn't be hard. If they're checking the wagons like that, there's the possibility someone could sneak in on one without setting off any alarms._  


There was another wagon approaching. Ja'far stealthily moved up and climbed into the back of it. He his amongst crates of fruit, continuing to operate as though he wasn't wearing the ring. He didn't feel any magic as they went through the gate. _Good, that's what I thought. Now, where to start..._  


The courtyard was bustling with activity. Food was being unloaded from the wagons, and brought into large buildings that smelled delicious. Ja'far got out of the way quickly; being invisible would be worthless if he bumped into someone. Carefully, he entered the kitchens. _Let's see who's an early riser around here,_ he thought, moving from hiding spot to hiding spot and keeping his eyes out for anything promising.  


“Here, this is for Princess Kougyoku. And these are for her attendants,” a cook told a group of uniformed servants. “What a girl her age is doing up at this hour is beyond me.”  


“Yes, ma'am. Knowing her...attendant, I'm sure it's not _her_ idea, poor girl.”  


“Well, that may be it.”  


_Princess? I suppose that bears investigating,_ Ja'far thought.  


He slipped out of the kitchens, following the group of servants carrying the trays of food. A couple of them were stifling yawns. “Ugh, serves me right for being up so late...” one of them muttered.  


“Just don't yawn in front of the Princess,” another said.  


“She won't notice, I don't think she pays attention to people like us.”  


“Still, best not to risk it. She _is_ of royal blood, after all.”  


“Hmm. Barely.”  


“Don't be rude.”  


Ja'far wasn't surprised to hear them talking like that; he'd overheard a lot of servants badmouthing their employers (deserved or not) in the years he had spent sneaking into places like this to kill said employers. _I wonder if the 'barely' part was literal, or just because of her attitude?_ he wondered.  


The group traversed the ornately decorated halls, with Ja'far ghosting behind them, staying hidden out of habit. _Besides,_ he told himself, _if there's powerful wizards around, they might be able to see through the ring's power. No sense getting careless._  


One of the servants split off from the group. “Alright, time to feed the princess,” she said, without much enthusiasm. Ja'far followed her silently.  


There were guards at the door, but Ja'far didn't have a problem slipping in- security around the princess wasn't the best, apparently.  


The princess was seated at a low table, not looking quite awake yet. She was a beautiful young woman (probably Alibaba's age, as far as Ja'far could tell), with long, vibrant red hair done up into a pair of loops. The princess thanked the servant quietly before she began to eat, movements listless.  


_She seems polite enough, even half-awake, so who knows what they were complaining about,_ Ja'far thought.  


Princess Kougyoku finished eating quickly, and picked up a wooden practice sword. Ja'far followed her outside to a sheltered garden, situating himself comfortably in a tree to watch. She began to warm up. As her movements became more fluid and coordinated, her confidence seemed to grow.  


“Good morning, Princess.” A dark-haired man joined her in the garden, holding a practice sword. “Ready to begin?”  


“Good morning, Ka Koubun. I'm warmed up and ready to go,” she replied, smiling.  


“Very well, Princess.” He carefully folded and placed his yellow outer robe and hat to the side, and stepped out to meet her.  


They practiced for a long time; Ja'far supposed he ought to move on, but Koubun seemed a little shifty, so he decided to wait just in case. In the meantime, he found himself comparing the princess's form to Sin and Sharrkan's. _She's good- she might be a match for Sin, if her teacher stopped taking it easy on her. Looks like she practices a lot,_ Ja'far thought. _That's not surprising for a nation like Kou, I suppose._  


Finally, they were done with practice. A servant handed the princess a towel, which she accepted with a grateful smile.  


“Hey grandma, you still throwing swords around?”  


The princess scowled at the intruder. “I'm not an old lady, Judar.”  


That boy was _definitely_ floating. He was also grinning, looking intensely pleased with himself. “You have wrinkles and everything, hag. Of course you're old.”  


“It's too _early_ to deal with you,” she complained.  


“Sorry, Princess Kougyoku,” said another young man. Both boys looked a little younger than Masrur. He bowed. “Judar's with me, so...”  


Kougyoku shook her head. “Judar's not your fault, Prince Hakuryuu. Were you training, too?”  


“Yes, that's right.” This prince looked very different from Kougyoku; he had black hair and silver eyes, instead of the red hair and pink eyes of the princess. He also had heavy burn scars across the left side of his face- Ja'far wondered if the kid's left eye worked, it looked as though it had been damaged, too.  


Judar sighed theatrically. “You two are crazy. Wizards don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to train, so why do you?” He had braided black hair that looked longer than he was tall, and eyes red as blood. For some reason, he was dressed very differently from everyone else Ja'far had seen in Kou- his outfit was a lot like Aladdin's, come to think of it.  


“If you don't have to be up, why are you?” Kougyoku asked, exasperated. “You're just going to fall asleep at lessons later, right?”  


“Teacher's not back, so it's no big deal.”  


“What, still? Hasn't it been...what, a month now?”  


“Lady Falan _does_ disappear frequently,” Koubun said.  


_...Falan?_ Ja'far's eyes widened. _So she's close to the royal family? Or at least her student is. So Arba must be, as well._  


“No one asked you, Koubun,” Judar said. “But yeah, she's spent more time in the field than in the palace for the past several months. Wahid, too- haven't seen him in over a month.” He shrugged. “Probably up to something weird. Though I guess Falan's taking too long, a certain _someone_ was getting pissy about her being gone so long.”  


“Are you worried about her?” Kougyoku asked.  


Judar snorted. “No way. My teacher can take care of herself.”  


“Well, that's true. Still.”  


“It's not _your_ problem,” Judar said.  


Kougyoku scowled at him. “Excuse _me_ for trying to be sympathetic.”  


“Who needs sympathy from _you?”_ Judar shook his head. “C'mon Hakuryuu, we should go. She's annoying.”  


“Look who's talking!”  


Hakuryuu sighed. “Weren't you following _me,_ anyway?”  


“Was I?”  


“You got up and came to watch my training this morning,” Hakuryuu pointed out.  


“Doesn't mean I was _following_ you.”  


“That doesn't make sense.”  


“And?”  


Hakuryuu just shook his head. “Princess Kougyoku, if you'll excuse me, I will take my leave.”  


“Oh...sure, I'm sure I'll see you later.”  


As Hakuryuu turned to go, Judar floated after him. “Hey, Hakuryuu, don't ditch me with the hag!”  


_If he's Falan's student, then I should follow him, see what happens._ Ja'far stood, following them silently. _He's younger than Masrur, but who knows- since he's studying with Falan, he could be a threat. I'd better be careful._  


...Then again, the carefree way Judar was pestering the prince suggested he wasn't all that dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter's late. I've been adjusting to my new job.
> 
> also, I'm going to be honest: I'm really nervous about writing Judar, since he has a very different background in this AU, especially compared to most of the other characters. well, we'll see how I do, I guess!


	27. Chapter twenty-seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! Real Life has been kicking my ass. because of this, I'm going to make my update schedule once every two weeks, instead of once a week. I hope that's okay, I don't want my writing to suffer because of me being tired/feeling rushed. :(

Ja'far was grateful for the structure of the Kou palace- there were a lot of pillars, and the outdoor area they were passing through was dotted with trees and other hiding places. That made tailing Falan's apprentice much easier. Well, not that Ja'far was visible anyway, but he preferred not to rely too heavily on the invisibility ring when it came to a wizard- even an apprentice.  


“So where are you going now?” Judar asked Prince Hakuryuu, moving slightly in front of him.  


Hakuryuu only paused for a moment before simply going around Judar. “To get cleaned up.”  


“Good idea, you're kinda gross right now.”  


“You don't _have_ to follow me around.”  


“What, and deprive you of my delightful presence?”  


“How can you say that with a straight face?”  


“So rude. You'd think _you_ were the one not used to being up so early.”  


Hakuryuu sighed deeply. “Judar, did you have a reason for this? Besides boredom.”  


“Hmm? Reason for what?” Judar asked. He didn't have a face that pulled off 'innocent' very well, but he was trying, Ja'far could tell.  


“Following me around like this today. You got up as early as I did, and you _never_ do that.”  


“Oh. I don't know,” Judar said, shrugging. “I think I did, but that was last night.”  


“Mmhm.” Hakuryuu looked at him suspiciously.  


Judar rolled his eyes. “It was a whim, okay? Whatever the reason, it was my idea. No one in their right mind would ask _me_ to keep an eye on you. Don't give me that look.”  


“...Fine.”  


_Why would he be worried about that?_ Ja'far moved carefully to his next hiding spot. Does the prince have people sent to 'keep an eye on him' often? He must, if he's so suspicious of someone who's...well, familiar with him, at least.  


“Sooo. What're you doing today? Wanna sneak out? No one would be watching you then, right?” Judar asked.  


“No, I won't sneak out with you. Ask Kougyoku if you want to do something like that.”  


“Aww, but she won't anymore! She's 'too old for that' and 'trying to be _responsible,_ why don't you try it sometime'. Ugh.”  


Ja'far caught the faintest flicker of a smile on the prince's face. “Well, she isn't wrong, after all. We do have responsibilities, as royalty. And you do, too, supposedly.”  


“Yeah, I'm supposed to learn magic and serve the royal family, more or less.” Judar grinned at Hakuryuu. “So, besides going away, what can I do to serve my favorite member of the royal family, my prince?”  


“Look, I _know_ your loyalty is to your teacher and the others,” Hakuryuu said, exasperated. “They serve my family out of convenience. How are you any different?”  


“I like you better. You're more interesting,” Judar replied. “We've been over this, haven't we?”  


“Pardon _me_ for not taking finding me 'interesting' for actual loyalty,” Hakuryuu said dryly.  


Judar rolled his eyes. “But you know I'm being honest when I say that, at least.” That was met with silence, which Judar seemed to take as agreement. “See? I'm the closest to someone you can trust that you have. Well. Second-closest? I mean, you still think your sister's okay, right?”  


Hakuryuu glared at him. “You're not making me want to talk to you. I don't know if that's what you're trying to accomplish, here, it's hard to tell with you sometimes.”  


“Sometimes, I'm not even sure.”  


“It would help if your mouth waited for your brain to catch up.”  


“Probably.”  


_This is all well and good, but I didn't infiltrate the palace to eavesdrop on two teenagers with trust issues._ Ja'far frowned, considering his options. _Okay, Judar's still my best lead, but he seems to want to follow the prince around. And the prince doesn't seem to want to discuss anything directly with him. Should I look for someone else...?_  


They were in a slightly more populated part of the palace now; Ja'far had to be much more cautious to ensure he was out of the way of servants and messengers. As they reached a set of rooms that appeared to be their destination, Hakuryuu turned to Judar. “Look...you can follow me later if you have to, but for now, please leave. You don't need to hang around while I take a bath.”  


Judar grinned. “Aww, why not?”  


“Mostly because of the look you got just now. _Goodbye,_ Judar.” He entered the rooms, sliding the door shut with finality.  


“Oh well.” Judar continued down the hall, steps more aimless now. “Now what should I do... magic practice? Ugh, I've done all the lessons she left me already, when is she coming back? Gonna get seriously bored, here...”  


He entered a room towards the end of the hall. Luckily for Ja'far, he didn't bother closing the door behind him. The room was clearly meant for studying; there were a couple desks, some shelves for scrolls, and enough light to make it comfortable to read. “Knew I left this here,” Judar muttered, picking up a heavy book that looked out of place amongst all the scrolls. He turned to leave the room, then paused, frowning.  


Ja'far felt a chill go down his spine as the teenager looked around, suddenly wary. _Did he sense something just now?_  


“Hmm...I could be imagining things,” Judar said. He crossed the room to the door, and slid it shut. “But maybe Hakuryuu's right about being watched. Can't hurt to check, right?”  


_Oh, this is bad..._ Ja'far looked around, studying the room for any way to escape unnoticed. The ceiling had a grid pattern to it; hopefully, holding on to that wouldn't be too difficult. As Judar closed his eyes, holding out a hand to begin casting a spell, Ja'far hastily and silently climbed a smooth pillar. He braced himself between the pillar and the ceiling, hoping the wood in between him and Judar would be enough to hide him from whatever the wizard was doing.  


There was a faint pulse- like a heartbeat, or a splash heard and felt underwater- and Ja'far counted seconds in his head, waiting for Judar to react.  


“Huh. Guess it was nothing?” Judar wondered aloud. “Oh well.”  


Ja'far waited until he heard the door slide open, and heard Judar's footsteps moving away down the hall, before he let himself slowly slide back to the ground. _That was too damn close... I got lucky this time, but next time I might not. Better be more careful,_ he thought. After a moment, he followed Judar- much more distantly and carefully, now.  


Judar went to one of the many courtyards, floating up to sit in the branches of a tree. He settled himself in comfortably, and opened the heavy book. “Where was I...? Oh, right. Polar Ray.”  


_Looks like he's going to be here a while...and honestly, I don't think I want to be around while he's practicing ice magic._ Ja'far considered a moment, then headed up onto the palace roof. _Might as well take an hour or two to look around some more. I'll need a better internal map of this place anyway._  


From what he could tell, the two back wings of the palace were the quarters of the royal family. Judar's presence there could be attributed to him following Prince Hakuryuu around; though some attendants and guards seemed to live there, it was unlikely Judar fell under either category. _So that means Falan and the others would live somewhere else._

_I'll see where Judar goes to sleep tonight- though it'll be just my luck if he stays with the prince._  


Now that it was mid-morning, there were a lot more people moving around. Ja'far kept to the rooftops to avoid the foot traffic. Especially the guards; there were a lot more of them patrolling openly now. _I wonder if it's a show of strength, or just traditional?_ Ja'far wondered.  


The palace was a collection of buildings laid out in very organized patterns- it was certainly handy for keeping track of where one was. Ja'far avoided the enormous, central hall that seemed to be the throne room; the guards there had fancier uniforms, and people were only using the main entrance to it. Around it were various buildings which seemed to be offices for government workers.  


Further down, Ja'far found military barracks and a guardhouse- parallel to a huge library. They were the only two multi-storied buildings in the palace. Ja'far jumped down from an office building to examine the library. _No sense infiltrating this, the others will be seeing a lot of this place anyway. I doubt they're even here yet, though- honestly, I'm the only one who can get up before noon- but I ought to get an idea of where they'll be staying. That'll make meeting up with Sin simpler later on._  


The southernmost section of the palace was where diplomats and other foreign guests were housed. Ja'far recognized clothing from as far west as Reim and Balbadd; it seemed Kou's influence was more far-reaching than he'd realized. _Though it makes sense that most countries would want to keep an eye on such a large empire- after all, who knows whether Kou will start aiming for territory on other continents?_  


Ja'far found a building that seemed (going by servants' gossip) to be more or less reserved for visiting wizards. _Good. I'll come by here tonight to meet up with the others,_ he thought. _Now, I'd better go back to tailing Judar- I doubt he'll have the patience to study much longer, if he hasn't abandoned it already._  


With that, he began to work his way back to the northern section of the palace. He moved more quickly, now that he had a better idea of where he was going. And it wasn't until he got close to the royal family's residence that he hit a snag.  


Or rather, a snag hit him. Someone who was just as invisible as he was bumped into him. Ja'far didn't hesitate; he lashed out, catching the person's arm with his wires. He heard them draw a weapon, and dodged to the side, twisting their arm up behind them. They stabbed backwards, managing to slash Ja'far's arm. Ja'far cut their throat, and they became visible as they fell to the roof.  


Ja'far let out a long, silent breath. _Shouldn't be surprising that I'm not alone up here,_ he thought. _Not in a place like this._ He worked quickly, tearing a strip of cloth to bind up his arm- leaving a blood trail would be a stupid way to get caught. Then he knelt to examine the body.  


She looked like she was from Reim- though her clothing was deliberately nondescript, her face and hair were obvious tells. As Ja'far was expecting, she didn't have much on her- a couple daggers, a flask of something, and two wands. Ja'far took the wands and flask- no sense wasting them, after all- and left as quickly as possible.  


As he continued over the rooftops, Ja'far rearranged his sleeve so it wouldn't be immediately obvious he'd been injured. _Sin would worry too much if he noticed, and he doesn't need the distraction. Ugh, talk about bad luck...for her more than me, at least._  


To his surprise, Judar was where Ja'far had left him. Ja'far knelt on the roof with a silent sigh of relief. There were puddles, chunks of ice, and frozen branches littering the garden- getting out of his way for a while had, apparently, been a wise move after all. _He's been really busy, hasn't he...? Yikes._  


Judar himself was sitting on a tree branch, spellbook closed on his lap; he appeared to be resting. Ja'far settled in to wait for him to do something; it wasn't so bad to have a few minutes to just sit down.  


Not much later, Ja'far heard footsteps in the hall above him. “Oh, my... Judar, you really like causing damage, don't you?” asked a female voice.  


Ja'far sat up straighter, eyes widening. _Why is her voice so familiar...?_  


Judar floated off his branch, kneeling in the destroyed garden. “I was practicing, your Majesty,” he replied innocently. “I'll clean up before I leave, don't worry.”  


“So I should hope. Now, my dear, I had a question for you.”  


_“Is this the test subject?” The tall, brown-haired woman leaned down to get a better look at Ja'far. Ja'far met her eyes steadily, trying not to show any of his fear or discomfort. Never mind that he was tied down, never mind that he was apparently a test subject._  


_“Yes.”_  


_“Well, if you're sure he can survive...”_  


Shaking his head, Ja'far forced his attention back to the present. Judar was saying, “-heard from her in over a month. Isn't she your subordinate? She'd contact you first, wouldn't she?”  


“Oh, Judar. It's just like you to underestimate Falan's affection for you,” the woman replied.  


Judar frowned. “Whatever. If I hear from her, I'll tell you.”  


There was a giggle. “Of course you will. Well, I have things to attend to, so I'll be going. Remember to clean up that garden, dear.”  


“...Right.”  


As her footsteps retreated down the hall, Judar began picking up branches, floating them back up and using magic to reattach them to the trees. After a few moments, he groaned loudly, bumping his head against one of the trees. “Uuuuugh. Come on, teach, where _are_ you? Don't leave us here with that bitch,” he muttered. “Didn't you say you wanted me to avoid her as much as I could?”  


“Your teacher's smart.”  


Judar jumped noticeably- Ja'far was a little startled, himself. Hakuryuu strode out into the garden, picking up another branch. He stuck it onto a tree, and a faint green glow surrounded it.  


“Hey, Hakuryuu.”  


“You figured out Polar Ray, hmm?”  


“Yeah. Then your mom told me to clean up, and asked if I'd heard from my teacher.” Judar sighed. “...Hakuryuu?”  


“What?” Hakuryuu turned away from the branch; it stayed in place.  


Judar's hands clenched into fists. “...Never mind. Dumb question, forget it.”  


Hakuryuu reached out, hesitated; then he shook his head, putting a hand on Judar's shoulder. “Just ask.”  


“Okay. A while ago, you mentioned a _really_ advanced spell,” Judar said. “'Mordenkainen's Disjunction. I found it in my teacher's notes.”  


“I mentioned it?”  


“You asked if I'd heard of it.”  


Hakuryuu backed off a few steps, looking wary. “...And?”  


“Now I want to know why you asked me about it. You know what it does, yeah?”  


Hakuryuu nodded. “Dispels all magic in the area, rendering all magic items useless. Yes.”  


“Where did you even _find_ that info, first of all? And second, you realize there's no way in hell you could cast it, right?” Judar asked, folding his arms. “It's more advanced than any of the spells I know.”  


“So you couldn't, either?” Hakuryuu asked.  


“Eventually, if I study my ass off, sure. But I don't think it's what you're looking for.”  


“What do you mean?”  


“Antimagic Fields don't destroy magic items, it just means no one can cast spells on you,” Judar explained. “It'll follow you around, and it lasts a good long time, too.”  


“And why do you think that's what I want?” Hakuryuu asked.  


Judar smiled. “Because you're hoping to wreck Gyokuen's shit, and that'll keep her from blasting your ass.”  


“What makes you think-”  


“C'mon, we've known each other _how_ long?” Judar asked. “It took me a while to figure it out, since you don't like to explain yourself, but I get it now.”  


“...Do you, though?” Hakuryuu asked, frowning.  


Judar sat on one of the branches of the (now repaired) tree. “Yeah. You blame her for your brothers' deaths, don't you? I wasn't here yet- my teacher wasn't either, actually. But you think she had something to do with it.”  


“And?”  


“And you think you can do something about it with, what? That blade on a stick and a few low-level spells?” Judar shook his head. “That's crazy. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like that about you. But on the other hand, I don't want you to die.”  


Hakuryuu leaned against the tree Judar was sitting in. “You don't sound opposed to me going after her.”  


“Nope. She's a condescending bitch, for one thing. And besides, I think she's using my teacher and the others,” Judar said. He leaned down, braid sliding forward to dangle by Hakuryuu's face. “I heard them talking about it, you know.”  


“Lady Falan and Lord Wahid?” Hakuryuu asked, surprised.  


Judar nodded. “Yeah. There's a lot she's not telling them, I guess. It's been making my teacher pretty nervous.”  


Hakuryuu smiled, closing his eyes. “...So you _are_ loyal to them, after all.”  


“Not to Gyokuen.”  


“I hoped you weren't,” Hakuryuu admitted.  


Judar floated to the ground. “But maybe I could be loyal to you,” he said, landing softly in front of Hakuryuu. “What do you think?”  


“Should I believe you?” Hakuryuu asked quietly.  


“Maybe you should. I actually mean this,” Judar said, sounding a little surprised at himself.  


“You sound sincere, for once. I'm shocked.”  


“So am I.”  


Hakuryuu grabbed his arm, pulling him a little closer. “This is just between the two of us. Are we agreed?”  


“Yeah. I won't tell anyone.”  


“And you'll help me however I ask?”  


“I mean, if your plan's dumb, I'll probably object. But yes, I will.”  


Hakuryuu nodded. “I'm probably going to regret this. For now, though...”  


“For now, I guess I brush up on protection spells.” Judar leaned forward, bumping his forehead gently against Hakuryuu's for a moment. “Anyone else on board?”  


“No. I don't trust anyone.”  


“Not even your sister?” Judar asked dubiously. “You serious?”  


“I trust Hakuei, but if I'm going to protect her, I can't get her involved in this.”  


Judar laughed. “That's pretty stupid, she's a better fighter than you are. Oh well, I guess I get it. Anyway, come on, it's lunchtime.” Hakuryuu sighed, but let Judar lead him away.  


Ja'far climbed silently down from the roof, mind buzzing. _Gods, this just got weird. I wonder what I should do with this...? I'll keep watching them for now, obviously, but...well. Hopefully, Sin will have some ideas, because I certainly don't._


	28. Chapter twenty-eight

Ja'far continued following Judar and Prince Hakuryuu until the sun went down, but after their conversation in the garden, they were content to avoid talking about anything else that was earth-shattering. But behind Judar's continued playful banter, Ja'far could see the young wizard was uneasy. Which was a relief, really, considering what the kid had signed himself up for. At least he was taking it seriously.  


_Somehow, I didn't think my first day spying here would be so...informative,_ Ja'far thought ruefully. _But I suppose this is good on some level- the faster we find what we need, the faster we get out of here._  


As night began to fall, Hakuryuu sighed. “I'm expected to eat with my family, so I ought to go.”  


“Dare you to throw something at Kouen.”  


Hakuryuu gave him an annoyed look. “No.”  


“It would be funny, though.”  


“Remind me to never take you to eat with any of my family.”  


Judar laughed. “I'd liven things up.”  


“Prince Kouha does well enough on his own.”  


“He _is_ pretty entertaining. Anyway, good luck with your family.”  


“Thanks,” Hakuryuu said dryly.  


He turned to leave. Judar looked as though he was about to say something- started to reach for the prince's arm- but shook his head and left quickly. Ja'far followed him. Profitable as it might be to get a look at the royal family, Ja'far suspected the risk would be far greater than the reward. Besides, their objective was Arba.  


Judar didn't seem interested in walking, instead opting to float along like a leaf on the wind. Ja'far had to move quickly to keep up.  


“Judar?” Princess Kougyoku was walking in the same direction Hakuryuu had gone, accompanied by her attendants.  


“Whoa, didn't see you down there. Hey.”  


Kougyoku frowned. “...Are you alright? You look upset.”  


“Sure am! Hakuryuu doesn't take dares, it's seriously lame.”  


“Did you dare him to throw food at my brother again?”  


“Maybe.”  


“He's too polite, you know that. If you dared Kouha, though...”  


Judar grinned. “He still wouldn't when her Majesty's there.”  


“Oh, that's true.” Kougyoku sighed. “...She's going to be there, hm?”  


“Probably.”  


“Suddenly, I'm not so hungry.”  


“Don't be silly, princess- it's a good opportunity to attract her notice,” Koubun said.  


“I know...”  


Judar turned upside down. “I'd keep my head down.”  


“Huh?”  


“You heard me.”  


Kougyoku tilted her head, frowning. “Why?”  


“I mean, you're more military anyway, right? Just talk to your brothers if you wanna start climbing the ranks.”  


“That's what I think, too,” Kougyoku agreed. She sighed. “And I let you distract me, didn't I?”  


“You sure did!” Judar agreed cheerfully. “Too bad for you.”  


“I don't know why I try sometimes...oh well. Have a good night, Judar.”  


“Yeah, yeah, you too.”  


They continued on their separate ways. Ja'far followed Judar until they reached a long building near the central hall. He stopped quite a way back; he felt a chill go down his spine, along with a sense of danger that he'd be stupid to ignore. _That does make sense, they're all powerful wizards...still, that does make investigation difficult,_ Ja'far thought. _There has to be a ton of protection up around that, if I can feel it._  


He watched as Judar went inside. The door closed behind him, and a faint glow lit the interior- a lamp or a magical light source, Ja'far couldn't tell. _Alright, now what? Wait here until morning, or go find the others...? There's no point waiting if I can't risk getting close to the place, I suppose. At least I know where it is, now. I'll see if Yamraiha has any ideas for getting close._  


Ja'far headed for the library; it wasn't late enough for Yamraiha to have gone back to her room, so he assumed the group would still be there.  


As he arrived, someone was leaving. Ja'far ducked around a corner instinctively, peeking around to get a look at him. He had a commanding presence, and very sharp eyes. His coloring was much the same as Princess Kougyoku's. _He looks like he should be leading troops into battle, not spending time in a library..._  


“-is not an obligation I would forget,” he was saying.  


“Much as you'd like to.” There were people with him, of course- and they were an odd assortment, even by Ja'far's standards. There was a draconic-looking man (or would it be more accurate to say a humanoid-shaped dragon?) with dark blue scales and neatly folded wings; a winged lion-like being with a human face; and two humans- one very tall and bulky, the other short and scrawny. It was the taller human who had spoken.  


The redhead did not comment, which seemed answer enough. He looked around, seeming almost bored, but his eyes rested too long on Ja'far's hiding place for comfort. His eyes were disconcerting- redder than Kougyoku's, with slit pupils that reminded Ja'far too much of the dragons he'd fought over the winter.  


“Prince Kouen?”  


“...It's nothing. Let's go, we shouldn't keep her waiting.”  


They left, and Ja'far let out a silent sigh of relief. _He'd have said something if he saw me, I'm sure. Still, he's intense...best to tread carefully around him._  


Ja'far found an open door to slip through- someone was bringing in a couple crates of scrolls, and sneaking around them was simple enough. Once inside the library, he wandered for a while, listening for familiar voices. It was an impressive library; Ja'far wished he had the chance to actually look at some of the scrolls stored there.  


Finally, on one of the upper floors, Ja'far heard Yamraiha. She was using her 'talking about spells' voice- very excited and talking too fast for most people to understand her. Ja'far sighed silently, smiling and shaking his head. _Someone's having fun...the others are probably bored by now, though._  


He followed the sound of her voice, careful to stay hidden amongst shelves of scrolls. She was seated at a table that was covered in scrolls and books, chattering away excitedly. Her conversation partner was a young woman- very tall, with long, black hair. Her eyes were covered with bandages and what appeared to be talismans of some kind, and she had a pair of black, curly horns.  


_Is she a tiefling, too?_ Ja'far thought, eyes widening. _And she works at the palace? The Kou are surprisingly open-minded..._  


Masrur was somehow managing to look bored out of his mind and incredibly uncomfortable at the same time. As his gaze found Sin, Ja'far understood why.  


Sin didn't look... _right._ His eyes seemed too dark, and that expression of bored disdain was completely unlike him. _What?_ Ja'far thought, confused. _I've never seen him look like that before, no matter who he was listening to._  


As if he'd heard Ja'far's thoughts, Sinbad looked up. His darkened eyes met Ja'far's, seeming to actually see him, despite the invisibility. Recognition flickered across his face, but more resigned and vaguely annoyed than anything-  


-then Sin was blinking, eyes returning to their normal brightness, looking mildly confused. Almost as though he'd dozed off for a moment.  


It took all of Ja'far's willpower to stay silent, to keep still. _I can't say anything here. When they get back to their rooms, then I can ask,_ he told himself, hands clenching into fists. _It would put us in worse danger if I tried to talk to him now._  


_I know that, but...what the hell is going on?_  


Ja'far managed to wait patiently until the wizards finished talking for the evening. He followed the others silently back to their quarters, slipping through the doors to the set of rooms they'd been assigned. None of them were aware of his presence- _right, I forgot Masrur said I don't have a scent-_ and so Ja'far found a corner out of the way, waiting for a good moment to reveal himself.  


“Sorry, that must've been boring for you,” Yamraiha said.  


“Very,” Masrur said quietly.  


Sin laughed. “Don't worry about it. You'll be moving more independently tomorrow, right? So we'll be able to poke around on our own. That should be more beneficial, anyway.”  


“Just be careful.”  


“We will be. Besides, since we're acting as your servants, there's not a lot of places we can go at this point,” Sin pointed out. “You're the one who needs to take care.”  


“I know...” Yamraiha sighed. “They have such interesting magic, too. I'm sure there's a clue in there somewhere. It shouldn't take me that long to find it.”  


Around then, a trio of servants brought them dinner. Ja'far waited patiently until they were done eating and everything was cleared away, and the servants had left. _Alright, no one else should be coming at this point._ He twisted his ring, dropping the enchantment and returning to visibility.  


Masrur jumped, turning into a red lion before he landed. His claws dug into the floor. Yamraiha squeaked, energy sparking around her fingers; Sin was on his feet in a moment.  


“Relax, it's just me.”  


Sin let out a long breath. “...Have I mentioned you're amazing recently?”  


Ja'far smiled. “You have, actually.”  


Yamraiha relaxed. “How did you do that?” she asked. “I didn't see the door open.”  


“I followed you back from the library.”  


Masrur turned back into his human form. “That long?”  


“Yes- I wanted to wait until there weren't any more servants coming in.”  


“And you're alright?” Sin asked, coming over to sit next to him.  


“Just fine.” Ja'far frowned at him. “What about you? Are you...”  


Sin hugged him tightly. “Don't take this the wrong way, but after all the security we had to go through getting into the palace, I was _seriously_ worried about how you were going to get in,” he said.  


“That wasn't so bad.” Ja'far lightly grabbed Sin's face, forcing him to meet his eyes. “Really, though, are you alright? Back in the library, you were-”  


“Practically falling asleep? Yeah, I'm pretty tired,” Sin said. Lied, actually.  


Ja'far stared at him, too startled to respond. He didn't know why it caught him so off guard- everyone lied, Sin especially. But there it was.  


Sin kissed the base of one of Ja'far's horns. “We can talk about that later,” he whispered, voice too low for the others to hear. “Please?”  


Reluctantly, Ja'far nodded. _So he's just lying to the others. Well, that's not_ good, _but somehow, it's kind of a relief. Weird._ “Alright,” he breathed.  


“So what did you find?” Sin asked.  


Ja'far snorted. “I barely know where to _start_ with that. First off, what do you know about the royal family?”  


Yamraiha rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Oh, gods, _that's_ a mess. We heard that story earlier today.”  


“Can I have the short version?” Ja'far asked. “It might make some of this make more sense.”  


“Sure.” Yamraiha sat up a little straighter. “So the royal family claims its descent from red dragons. There were two brothers of that line who ruled recently; Hakutoku and Koutoku. Hakutoku married a woman who's half silver dragon, the current Empress Gyokuen. They had four children. Hakutoku and his oldest two children died; Gyokuen married Koutoku and ruled alongside him for a while. Then _Koutoku_ died- illness being the official story. With me so far?”  


Ja'far nodded. “More or less. Why marry someone of silver dragon blood when the royal family's already descended from red dragons?”  


“Uniting warring clans,” Sin explained. “It becomes more important when both sides breathe fire and ice.”  


“Fair. Continue.”  


“Right. So Koutoku had a bunch of children from before he married Gyokuen. There's three sons, and a lot of daughters- most are married off now, I guess? Anyway. Gyokuen doesn't have a proper claim to the throne because she doesn't have royal blood, but she's acting Empress for now,” Yamraiha explained. “The plan is for her daughter from her marriage to Hakutoku to marry Kouen, the eldest son of Koutoku, and they'll rule jointly.”  


Ja'far nodded. “That way the union of the families remains valid?”  


“Exactly.”  


“And how did Hakutoku and his oldest children die?”  


“Assassins. They, um, burned a bunch of the palace down, too.”  


_That sounds like some very clumsy assassins...unless they were wizards, maybe? Hmm._ “Which is why we have a prince walking around with burn scars.”  


Yamraiha nodded. “Yes. Prince Hakuryuu.” She blinked. “You saw him?”  


“I followed him around most of the day,” Ja'far said. “He seems to think his mother is behind his brothers' deaths. And he wants to do something about it.”  


Sin's eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”  


Ja'far nodded. “He's recruited Falan's apprentice.”  


“Wait, Falan has an _apprentice?”_  


“Apparently. His name's Judar. He seems to be on good terms with the royal family- he's friends with Prince Hakuryuu, Princess Kougyoku, and seems to know Gyokuen very well. Falan's working for her, but she's not here- she's been missing for over a month.”  


“Since Wahid died?” Sin suggested.  


Ja'far nodded. “I was wondering if it was that. Judar was talking about Wahid as if he was still alive, after all. Though Falan might have been on an assignment at the time.”  


“True. Well, do you think it might be worth it to try and get the prince and his wizard on our side?” Sin asked.  


“They're younger than Masrur,” Ja'far said dryly. “Not as young as Aladdin, but still...”  


“Doesn't mean they can't help.”  


_That's true,_ Ja'far reminded himself. _After all, Masrur's more than capable in battle, and I've been doing jobs for the Guild since I was old enough to hold a blade properly... Judar's powerful, certainly. So why am I hesitating?_ “Judar is strong enough. I haven't seen the prince in action.”  


“What kind of spells can Judar do, do you know?” Yamraiha asked.  


Ja'far frowned. “He was practicing 'Polar Ray' earlier, and he mentioned 'Antimagic Field',” he said. “That's all I know for certain.”  


Yamraiha's eyes widened slightly. “Stronger than I expected. Those aren't exactly beginner spells.”  


“Would he work against his teacher, though?” Sin asked.  


“He thinks the Empress is using her,” Ja'far explained. “He said she and Wahid seemed concerned about a lot of things she wasn't telling them.”  


“Interesting.” Sin frowned at nothing. “...This is more complicated than I thought it would be. Did he mention Arba at all?”  


“No.”  


“Maybe we should hold off on taking action until someone does.” Sin sighed. “That's amazing for a first day, Ja'far.”  


“If nothing else, I have a lot of leads. Anything else you want me to look into?”  


“Literally everything.” Sin grinned. “Actually, if you can scout around Prince Kouen and his fiance, that would be helpful. I feel like they might be important.”  


Ja'far nodded. “I'll do that.” _Very, very carefully._  


“Anything else to report?”  


“Not really...oh, wait, yes.” Ja'far took the wands and flask he'd taken from the agent he'd killed earlier. “I ran into someone from Reim earlier. Literally, we were both invisible. Anyway, she had these on her. Yamraiha, could you identify them for me?”  


“Of course!” Yamraiha took the items. “What about her?”  


“What do you mean?”  


“What happened?”  


“Oh. I killed her.”  


“I see.” Yamraiha held her hands over the first wand. “This one's Disintegrate. She meant business...”  


Sin stood up with a sigh. “Alright, while you're doing that, I'm borrowing Ja'far.” He held out a hand to Ja'far, who allowed Sin to pull him to his feet.  


Masrur gave a long-suffering sigh.  


“I'll soundproof the door, don't worry,” Yamraiha assured him.  


Ja'far ignored them, following Sin into the next room. It was a bedroom- clearly meant for Sin and Masrur to share. He closed the door behind them, waiting until the hum of magic indicated the room was soundproof. “What the hell was that earlier?” he asked.  


Sin sat down on one of the beds with a sigh, suddenly looking exhausted. “...There's three short stretches of time today I don't remember. Yamraiha didn't find anything wrong with me when she checked before, but something's obviously wrong here. Masrur noticed there was something up too, I've been seeing him giving me weird looks all day. Am I going insane, do you think?” he asked.  


“Just from that?” Ja'far asked, sitting next to him.  


Sin's hand found his, fingers interlacing. “That and the whole 'being watched' feeling from before. And how strange I've felt while I've been learning magic. It's a feeling like that, just stronger than before.”  


“Then maybe it's something Yamraiha can't sense.” Ja'far thought back. “How long have you been feeling off? Since we fought Ithnan?”  


“No, it's more recent. Since Yamraiha freed Aladdin, I think.”  


“You were holding off the curse, and it overwhelmed us...you were the only one who got knocked out, weren't you?” Ja'far asked.  


“No one else mentioned it, anyway.”  


Ja'far pulled Sin closer with his free hand, kissing his forehead. “We should talk to the others about this.”  


Sin leaned his weight against Ja'far, knocking them both over on the bed. “If Yamraiha couldn't even sense it, there's nothing she can do about this. They'd just worry unnecessarily.” He rested his head on Ja'far's chest. “Besides, I could be actually going crazy.”  


“Let's have her check you again,” Ja'far said, stroking Sin's hair. “You may be reckless, but you aren't insane.”  


“Mm...” Sin didn't sound convinced, but he wasn't quite arguing, either.  


“Sin?”  


Sin didn't answer. He just wrapped his arms around Ja'far.  


“Come on, Sin.” Ja'far ran his hands through Sin's thick, soft hair, wishing there was really nothing to worry about, nothing preventing them from staying that way. “This is nice, but we have more important things-”  


“Just give me a minute.” Even muffled against his chest, Sin's voice sounded tired.  


Ja'far closed his eyes. “If I do that, I'll fall asleep. Sounds like you might, too.”  


“You have a point.” Sin sighed. “...What are you doing tonight? Staying here?”  


“I should go back out soon. It might be easier to get close to Prince Kouen at night,” Ja'far said. He hesitated, then added slowly, “Unless you'd rather I stayed?”  


“Of course I'd rather have you stay,” Sin replied. “Don't you need sleep? You were just saying how tired you were.”  


“No, I was saying I was comfortable and would fall asleep if we stayed like this,” Ja'far replied. “Really, though. Do you need me to stay?”  


Sin's arms tightened around him. “...I'll be fine. Much as I want to keep you here.” He moved up so he could look Ja'far in the eye. Ja'far was relieved to see that he seemed calmer now, and less haunted. “You're sure you don't want to rest here a while?”  


“I'll come back to rest when I need it.”  


“As long as you're sure.” Sin kissed him, slow and sweet. Ja'far melted into it with a contented sigh, letting Sin tangle their legs together. After a little while, Sin pulled away, resting his forehead against Ja'far's. “I love you.”  


“Love you, too.”  


Sin smiled, sitting up and pulling Ja'far with him. “Let's go back to the others. I have an idea for how to get Yamraiha to check me again without worrying her.”  


“Alright.”  


They returned to the main room. Yamraiha looked up, surprised. “You weren't gone as long as I thought you would be.”  


“We'll have more time for that later,” Sin replied, grinning. “Anyway, before we let Ja'far wander off into the night again, I wanted you to check something.”  


“Oh? Speaking of which, I did the wands and potion. Disintegrate, Dimension Door, and the potion was Barkskin.”  


“Dimension Door?”  


“Short-distance teleportation, essentially. What did you need me to check?”  


“We know this palace is full of powerful spellcasters, so I want to be sure no one's picked up any enchantments.”  


“Oh! That makes sense, actually.” Yamraiha held up her hands. “Ja'far, come here. I doubt anything got on you, but it would be for the best if I checked.”  


Ja'far came over to her. “Alright.”  


A warm, blue glow washed over him. “I'm picking up three major and one minor...ah, okay, the major ones are your ring, your weapons, and Valefor's blessing. So that's fine.” Yamraiha frowned. “That other one, though, I don't know about...”  


“Is it centered somewhere specific, can you tell?”  


“On your legs?”  


“Oh. That's fine, then.”  


Yamraiha frowned. “Are you sure? It feels kind of...dark.”  


“I'm sure. I know what it is.”  


“Well, alright...” She turned to Sin. “Your turn. You'll be complicated, with all the divine blessings you have going on.”  


Sin shrugged. “Don't worry, we have time.”  


Yamraiha held out her hands, and blue light washed over Sin. “Okay, three different instances of divine favor, magic sword...oh, I didn't know those arm guard things were enchanted, that's interesting!” Her eyebrows furrowed, and she studied Sin carefully. “Um...that's odd.”  


“What's odd?”  


“There's something weird going on.” Yamraiha came over, placing her hands on Sin's shoulders. “Excuse me.”  


“You sense something?”  


“Shh, give me a second.” Yamraiha closed her eyes, and the blue glow intensified. “...I can't pin it down, or get a good sense of it. But there's some sort of presence... Should I try to dispel it?”  


“If you think you can,” Sin said. He glanced over at Ja'far, looking somehow relieved.  


Yamraiha bit her lip. “I'll _try,_ but it's so slippery, I can't promise anything.”  


“Just give it a shot.”  


“Right.” More blue light played over the two of them, making them look as though they were underwater. Ja'far watched nervously, eyes flicking constantly back and forth between Sin and Yamraiha. Sin was waiting patiently, not seeming effected by the magic. Yamraiha was the picture of concentration, eyebrows furrowed, and tension in every movement.  


After a few minutes, she stepped back with a frustrated growl. “Ugh, I can't even _touch_ it, whatever it is. I'm so sorry, Sinbad!”  


“At least we know there's something there,” Sin replied. “Any idea what it is?”  


“No, but it felt big. And it must be strong, if it can actively hide from me like that,” Yamraiha said. She sighed. “Oh, this is bad...maybe if my father was here too, we could trap it together, but...”  


Sin smiled. “Don't worry. We'll keep an eye on it for now, see what happens.”  


“...Okay.” She sighed again. “Well, Masrur, it's your turn, I suppose!”  


Masrur didn't have anything on him. It wasn't a surprise, but it was still a relief. Yamraiha smiled. “I have enough protection that I would know if something was cast on me. So it looks as though Sinbad's the only one who has anything...which is certainly something to worry about, but-”  


“Don't get worked up over it,” Sin said. “We'll figure it out.”  


Much as he didn't want to, Ja'far knew he had to go back out. _Yamraiha would be able to do more than I could, since there's magic involved,_ he reminded himself. _No matter how much I just want to stay close to him, we have other priorities right now._ He sighed. “Alright. I need to get going again.”  


Sin's hand found his. “Sure. Want me to let you out?”  


“Please.”  


“Be careful out there,” Yamraiha said.  


“Same goes for the rest of you,” Ja'far replied. He smiled. “Don't worry, I'll be careful.”  


He and Sin went back into the room they'd been in before, closing the door behind them. Sin sighed. “...So I'm not crazy.”  


“I didn't think you were,” Ja'far replied, kissing him. He frowned. “Look...I'll try my best to keep checking in on you. I'm not a wizard, so there's not much I can do, but...”  


“Thank you.” Sin hugged him tightly. “It may sound weird, but just knowing you're nearby helps me feel more in control.”  


Ja'far rested his head on Sin's shoulder. “Who cares if it's weird? It's just one more reason to stay by your side.”  


“Check back as often as you can, but don't get distracted,” Sin said. “None of us can afford that right now.”  


“Is that why you're trying to make sure everyone ignores what's up with you?” Ja'far asked.  


Sin went still for a moment. “That's as good a reason as any.”  


“Make the others ignore it if you want, but I won't.” Ja'far pulled away to look into Sin's eyes. “I'll do anything for you. You know that, right?”  


“I know.” Sin kissed him, long and hard, pulling Ja'far's body tightly against his own. Ja'far clung to him, feeling almost as though he was drowning. There was something more than a little desperate in that kiss, and Ja'far found himself responding to that, weaving his fingers through Sin's hair to pull him even closer.  


Sin pulled away finally, just as breathless as Ja'far. “Alright. You need to get going, before I really try to convince you to stay,” he said, grinning.  


“With, um...with the method you were just using, or...?”  


“Yeah, that.” Sin kissed him again, just for a moment.  


Ja'far smiled. “Then I'd better get going, I don't know if I could resist that.”  


But Sin pulled him in for another breathtaking kiss. “Unfortunately, I can't resist you, either,” he said.  


“Sin...” Ja'far sighed, pushing lightly at Sin's chest. “...I should go, or I'll be here all night.”  


“I know.”  


Ja'far twisted the ring on his finger, becoming invisible again. Sin laughed. “Oh, that is weird. I can feel you, but I can't see you... Huh.”  


“What?”  


“Nothing,” Sin said, grinning.  


_“What?”_  


“Just wondering what it would be like to-”  


“Never mind, forget I asked.” Ja'far kissed Sin for a quick moment before stepping out of his embrace.  


Sin went to a sliding screen door. “I mean, it wouldn't be as fun, since I wouldn't be able to see you, but it _would_ be interesting for-”  


“Stop talking and let me out.”  


Grinning, Sin slid the door open, taking a couple steps outside. He made a show of looking around. Ja'far slipped out behind him, hesitating before he headed back out towards the royal family's quarters.  


_Whatever's up with Sin, our best option is to find and deal with Arba quickly. I can't get distracted from that mission._


	29. Chapter twenty-nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because I've been writing non-stop the past week or so, I'm switching back to weekly updates. this may be a relief to some of you. :3

After he left Sin and the others, Ja'far worked his way back towards the royal family's quarters. He wasn't sure how much he could find out at night- unless it was learning guard patterns for future reference- but he felt as though he had to be doing _something._ Any ground they gained brought them that much closer to getting out of Kou.  


And given the situation with Sin, the sooner they got out of Kou, the better.  


Ja'far pushed those thoughts out of his mind. _I have to focus._  


Crossing to the northern part of the palace took him some time, but he found he was growing more accustomed to the path. _If I was still working with the Guild, I'd be stalking a single target, not trying to cover the entire palace on my own..._ Ja'far shook his head, smiling. _No, there's no point comparing this to Guild work._  


There was a small group of people walking. Ja'far recognized Prince Kouen and his entourage; as he got closer, he was able to get a look at the three he didn't recognize. One was a young man, slender and pale-haired; he looked like the brother of one of Kouen's attendants. The second was a woman with a snake's body from the waist down, and feathered wings sprouting from her back. The last was a young woman who looked very much like Prince Hakuryuu- though a few years older.  


_She must be the one betrothed to Kouen,_ Ja'far thought. He wanted to get a closer look, of course, but getting close to them was not going to be easy.  


The princess was saying something- Ja'far wasn't close enough to catch more than the inflection of a question. Kouen simply nodded, and she smiled. The snake woman rolled her eyes, looking annoyed.  


Ja'far carefully moved closer, opting to walk along the roof above them. _If I can't see them, at least they can't see me either. I'll take that for now, hearing them talk is more important._  


“It's been a while since all of us were here at the palace, hasn't it?” said a female voice- probably the princess. “Well. I suppose it really isn't everyone, since most of your sisters are with their husbands, but they'll be here soon enough.”  


“True.” For a moment, Ja'far thought Kouen would leave his response at that. “She doesn't seem to know what to do with Kouha, besides send him into battle.”  


“I think you're right. And she rarely uses Koumei effectively.” She giggled. “She really doesn't understand how _any_ of you three work, does she?”  


“It does seem that way.” Another short pause. “...Kougyoku either.”  


“Well, she may have decided not to put effort into a princess who will just be married off,” Hakuei said dryly. “Which is ridiculous, honestly, but not out of character considering what happened with my fellow princesses. I understand that, whether I like it or not. In you and your brothers' cases, though, I have to wonder...do you think it might be deliberate?”  


Kouen was quiet. Instead, another female voice piped up. “Pretty sure _all_ her Majesty's actions are deliberate, Princess Hakuei.”  


“And her intentions aren't always clear,” a gruff male voice chipped in.  


“You're both right, Paimon, Shou. I must admit, I'm curious about Prince Kouen's opinions- he has spent great deal of time in my mother's presence recently,” Hakuei replied. “More than I have of late.”  


“Are you sure my opinions on this subject are really something you want to hear?” Kouen asked.  


The princess sighed. “Yes. You needn't hold back to spare my feelings, if that's what you're worried about.”  


“I think her Majesty does not want to allow the three of us- possibly you as well- to collaborate freely. Whether that stems from mistrust on her part or other reasons, I have guesses but no proof.”  


“...So you do think she is suspicious of you three.”  


“It is a possibility, certainly, and one that would explain her actions.”  


“If she is, it would be ridiculous. Your loyalty to the Empire is obvious.”  


“Sure, but being loyal to the _Empire_ isn't loyalty to her Majesty,” Paimon pointed out.  


“As Lady Paimon says,” Kouen agreed. “The same way her foreign wizards show loyalty to her, specifically, but do not appear to be tied to the Empire in any way.”  


“Hmm. That's a good point, I suppose,” Hakuei agreed reluctantly The group continued in silence for a little while. “Come to think of it, my mother's foreign allies haven't been around as much, either.”  


“That's not a bad thing,” muttered a growling, male voice.  


“Being able to keep an eye on them was helpful,” Kouen said. “Especially the central three.”  


“Yes. I wish I knew what she had them doing- or what they do of their own accord. Are they truly under her control, or are they pursuing their own agenda?” Hakuei wondered aloud.  


“She would never tolerate them if they weren't truly hers, I think,” Paimon said. “Though I would _love_ to see her proven wrong.”  


“I'm not so sure that's a good idea,” Hakuei replied. “Given Lord Ithnan, in particular.”  


_Well, lucky for you, he's dead,_ Ja'far thought. _Does no one know about him and Wahid? Odd. And he said central three, presumably meaning Ithnan, Falan and Wahid- so where the hell is Arba? Masrur had even seen her here, did she leave? If so, why? Where would she go? If we have to expand our search in order to find her, this could really drag out..._  


“Agreed,” Kouen said. “Once we take over for her Majesty, we ought to be able to determine who they are and what their true purpose is, at least.”  


“You're right, of course.” Hakuei sighed. “I just have a bad feeling about all this.”  


“You aren't the only one.”  


The group stopped walking, and Ja'far waited above them. “Well, Prince Kouen, I will bid you good night,” Hakuei said. “Though I suppose you will go back to the library?”  


“For a little longer, at least. Good night, Princess Hakuei.”  


Ja'far waited until Kouen and his retainers had left, then carefully looked over the edge of the roof. There was a pair of intricately carved sliding doors, which the princess and her retainers had apparently gone through. Ja'far jumped down carefully, moving cautiously up to the doors. _Well, I can probably slip through here if no one's paying attention, but...hmm. I can't hear anything from the other side. I wonder if it's like the spell Yamraiha used earlier? For such a thin-looking door, it seems unlikely that I couldn't hear_ anything, _after all._  


Footsteps approached. Ja'far slipped behind a pillar automatically. There was a servant, bearing a tray with a teapot and cups. She knelt, sliding one door open and entering silently.  


Not inclined to waste a chance, Ja'far edged around her into the room- truly relying on his invisibility for a change. It was nerve-wracking, but worthwhile to get into the room. The servant served tea to the princess and her two retainers. Hakuei smiled at her. “Thank you. That will be all for tonight- no need to wait up to collect the cups,” she said.  


The servant bowed and left, closing the door behind her.  


Hakuei took a sip of tea and sighed. “I do wish I knew what my mother was thinking,” she said tiredly. Now that he was closer, Ja'far noticed her nails were silver, and oddly long and pointed for someone who carried a sword. More like neatly-trimmed claws than anything.  


“With Prince Kouen and the others, her wizards, or in general?” asked the young man, picking up a cup for himself.  


She smiled crookedly. “All of those, really. If she's serious about Kouen and I ruling jointly, you would think she would trust us more.” She tilted her head. “Seishun, what do you think? You were rather quiet out there.”  


“I don't know what to think!” he replied, smiling wryly. “I mean, her Majesty was always a little distant, but since the fire, don't you think she's seriously changed? It's like she's not the same person anymore.”  


Hakuei nodded. “You're right, of course, but I don't think that's surprising. None of us are really the same after that. Hakuryuu especially.”  


“Don't you think something's really off about all this, though?” Seishun asked.  


“I do. I just don't know what to do about it.”  


Paimon draped an arm around the princess. “We should investigate those foreign wizards. If your mother won't tell you what she's doing with them, you should find out on your own! I mean, she has no reason to hide this from you if you're going to be Empress.”  


“Good point,” Hakuei admitted. “She's always evasive when I ask, and I _really_ don't like it. Koumei is probably the one with the best resources to look into something like this...or Kouha, with his wizards. I'll speak to Koumei as soon as I can- though finding the time tomorrow may be difficult.”  


“Ugh, wedding preparations,” Paimon groaned. “You should marry me instead, you know.”  


Hakuei smiled. “We've been over this, Paimon. It's politics, remember?”  


“I know. Still think it's a load of crap.”  


Seishun cleared his throat. “Well, you won't need me for a lot of what you're doing tomorrow, right? Should I go let Prince Koumei know you wish to speak with him while you're doing all that?”  


“That would be perfect,” Hakuei replied. “Thank you, Seishun.”  


“Of course! I'm just as worried about all this as you are, you know.”  


“I know.” Hakuei leaned back against Paimon. “Paimon, do you think you could speak with Kouha's wizards at some point? Find out if they know anything interesting?”  


Paimon nodded. “I can do that while you and Seishun are training tomorrow morning.” She grinned. “Thanks for sending me to talk to the cute girls instead of your mess of a cousin.”  


“Please don't be rude. Koumei overdoes things, which why he's so...you know.”  


“He looks like a bush. Sometimes he's even got birds perching on him like one.”  


Hakuei sighed. _“Paimon.”_  


“I'm just saying.”  


After that, they changed the subject to other things; discussing when Kouen's sisters would be arriving for the upcoming wedding, how much of the clan of horsemen the princess had befriended would be likely to appear, and other such topics that sounded interesting but weren't relevant to Ja'far's mission.  


The relationship between Paimon and Hakuei wasn't really relevant to his mission either, but Ja'far found he was a little curious anyway. Mostly because the way Paimon couldn't seem to keep her hands off Hakuei reminded him of Sin. Hakuei really didn't seem to mind, though she also didn't seem to initiate anything herself. It was clear this was normal for them, at least; Seishun barely reacted to the snake woman draping herself all over the princess.  


_I wonder if I could use their need for information,_ Ja'far thought, dragging his thoughts back to his actual mission. _It's clear that they don't feel any real affection for the foreign wizards, so they really could be potential allies for us. But on the other hand, we're just as foreign. I need a way to approach them that will allow me to gain their trust._  


_...Or I could leave it to the others, but I don't want to risk anything happening to them if negotiations go poorly. If anyone's going to risk their life on this, it's going to be me._  


He settled in to wait for them to go to bed. Unfortunately for him, they decided to stay up late talking. Ja'far waited as patiently as he could, careful to stay awake. Falling asleep on the job would, after all, be utterly stupid.  


Finally, they went off to bed. Ja'far waited until he was reasonably certain they were asleep before he slipped out of the princess's chambers. _Should I sneak back to the others to rest for a few hours? That would be safer on some level, but also more risky if I oversleep... Oh well, I'll just catnap in a tree._  


That decided, he found an appropriately hidden spot to rest and settled in, falling into an uneasy sleep for a few hours.  


*****  


The next morning, Ja'far decided not to wait for Princess Hakuei to get up; he had decided to change tactics. So he made his way back to the first lead he'd followed when he arrived at the palace; Princess Kougyoku.  


By the time he arrived, she had just gone out to warm up before sword training. This time, instead of just comparing her to other swordsmen he knew, he studied her, looking for holes in her technique. Analyzing her, in case a confrontation with her turned out poorly.  


_Out of any of the royal family, she's least likely to know how to handle a spy,_ he reasoned. _Well, Hakuryuu might not either, but I don't think he'd be willing to trust a stranger. But Kougyoku will probably hesitate before attacking, and any hesitation on her part gives me more time to convince her that I'm being honest. So if I'm going to do this, she's the one I have to approach._  


_And if things go badly, she's definitely slower than me. I can escape, hopefully without hurting her._  


_Gods, Sin's going to be furious...that's better than letting him risk himself, though._  


The princess's attendant lowered his sword after a while, frowning at her. “Princess, you aren't focusing.”  


“Sorry, sorry...I'm a little distracted this morning.” She tried to smile, but didn't quite manage it.  


“I noticed. What's bothering you? Did something happen last night?”  


Kougyoku sighed, lowering her weapon. “Not...really. I've just been thinking, after seeing how strange and tense things are with my family these days. It wasn't always like this. I'm pretty sure, anyway.” She looked at the ground. “...Having dinner with my family shouldn't feel like a waiting for a typhoon to hit.”  


“Well, it's true that things have gotten more complicated,” Koubun agreed. “But that's not bad for you, princess. You _do_ need to be careful when you choose a side, though.”  


“A...side?”  


“In the event of a power struggle, you need to choose the most advantageous side to ally yourself with,” he explained earnestly. “Your siblings are strong, but her Majesty has powerful allies, so it might be to your benefit to at the very least court both sides. Since you're friends with Judar, I think Falan likes you, so she's a good-”  


“Koubun!” Kougyoku's hands tightened on her sword, and she shook her head, eyes widening. “Do _not_ talk like that. I would never... If it comes down to it, of course I'd side with my brothers! But there's no way her Majesty would...my _brothers_ wouldn't... They... Don't talk like a civil war is starting.”  


Koubun sighed. “I'm speaking hypothetically, princess. More or less. Besides, not all power struggles result in civil war. Prince Kouen and Princess Hakuei are going to take the throne, for example, but we don't know if her Majesty will really give up all of her power so easily. And will Princess Hakuei want to divide power equally with Prince Kouen? Will the two of them work together as well as we assume, or will they be at odds?”  


“My brother and Princess Hakuei respect each other,” Kougyoku said, frowning. “Like each other, even. As far as I can tell, they _do_ intend to rule jointly.”  


“As far as you can tell. And how well do you know the Princess?”  


Kougyoku sighed, looking down. “...Not very. You know that.”  


“Exactly. Now! Fear not, princess. I know quite a lot about what's happening in the palace, and in my opinion, you should try to cultivate stronger relationships with your brother and his fiance. And make sure they know of your battle strength. If you become a proper general like Princess Hakuei, you will be considered indispensable to the Empire.”  


“...I understand,” Kougyoku said. She looked unhappy, though- Ja'far couldn't blame her for that.  


The lesson resumed, but Kougyoku remained distracted. After it ended, she took her leave, going off alone to another garden. Well. Not alone, really; Ja'far followed her.  


“...He really _doesn't_ understand,” she murmured, sighing deeply. “I knew he wouldn't. Maybe Hakuryuu would...ugh, I can't ask _him_ about something like this. He's a child, even more than I am.” She looked down at her hands. “...Though I suppose he's almost as powerless.”  


Ja'far found himself hesitating. _Why?_ he wondered. _This is important, there's no time for doubts. She's my best chance to join forces with the royal family._  


_...Maybe we can make sure this benefits her, too. Somehow._  


Taking a deep, silent breath, he moved to stand in front of the princess. _Alright. Remember everything Rurumu taught you about talking to people. Stay calm. You can do this,_ he told himself firmly.  


Ja'far twisted the ring on his finger, becoming visible. He knelt gracefully. “Princess Kougyoku.”  


The princess made a surprised sound somewhere between a squeak and a hiccup. “Who are you?” she asked, drawing a sword- not a wooden practice one, either. Ja'far had seen it at her back, tucked into her sash; he was a little impressed, though, by her draw speed. “Are you...are you one of Koumei's...?”  


“I am not. Your Highness, I need to speak with you regarding the future of your Empire. Please, hear me out.”


	30. Chapter thirty

The two of them must have made an interesting picture; the princess, startled and confused and wary, still dressed for training and standing there pointing a sword at Ja'far, while Ja'far knelt calmly (outwardly, anyway) before her, not looking armed (long, loose sleeves were a blessing). Kougyoku was frozen for a few moments, but finally composed herself with an effort.  


“The future of the Kou Empire? Explain yourself,” she said, managing to sound commanding despite her nervousness.  


“Your Empress is harboring the leaders of a group of evil wizards,” Ja'far explained. “For reasons I have been unable to determine.”  


Kougyoku's eyes widened, and she looked somehow betrayed. “There...there are many wizards here. You will have to be more specific.”  


“Ithnan, Falan and Wahid,” Ja'far said.  


The point of her sword wavered for a moment. “Do you have proof of this? Any of it?”  


Ja'far nodded. “The wizard Ithnan tried to destabilize the country of Mustasim by rewriting the memories of the Queen, and trying to pit her and her own wizards against each other,” he replied. “The Queen herself would confirm my words, for she has made no secret of her wish to stop Ithnan.”  


“And...if word got back to her that he was here?”  


“You must be aware that it would look like an act of war on the part of your Empire. Given Ithnan's involvement with your Empress, it could have _been_ one.”  


“Gods,” she whispered, going very pale. Kougyoku hesitated a moment, then said, “You say that contacting the Queen of Mustasim is your proof, though?”  


“Yes.” _Ah, damn. I hoped that would be enough to start with, but I suppose she's smarter than that._  


Kougyoku scowled. “...I do not believe I can ignore what you are saying, but I also do not believe I should trust you so easily.”  


“I understand, your Highness.”  


“I assume you have weapons on you.”  


Ja'far blinked, looking up to meet her eyes properly.  


“Take them off.”  


_No, she certainly isn't stupid..._ Ja'far silently commanded the wires to slide down his arms, coiling neatly in his hands. _The last time I took them off was to get them enchanted,_ he thought. Now, the situation was completely different, and it took almost more courage than he had to put the weapons down in front of the princess. “These are my only weapons,” he said, forcing his voice to sound steady. He felt naked. Vulnerable. Nauseous, honestly.  


Kougyoku picked them up with care, examining them curiously. “That ring, too,” she said firmly. “It's magic, isn't it? I can tell.”  


Ja'far didn't quite wince. _If I give that to her, escape will be a lot harder if it comes to that...but she's being reasonable, and I need her to trust me. I need this to work._ He took it off, and held it out to her. “...I understand and respect your need for caution.”  


“You will get it back once your trustworthiness has been established,” Kougyoku said. She took a deep breath. “Now...come with me. And keep your hands where I can see them.”  


Ja'far stood, brushing grass from his knees. “Yes, your Highness.”  


She led him back to where she had been training. Two of her attendants were still there- waiting for her, presumably. They stared at Ja'far, obviously confused. “Where is Koubun?” she asked.  


“He is freshening up, your Highness. Um, what-?”  


“Ugh, of course. Alright. You will escort me back to my rooms, please. And you...could you find my brother, please? Tell him it's urgent,” she said firmly.  


“Er...Prince Koumei?”  


Kougyoku hesitated a moment. “...Or Kouen. Whichever you find first. Move quickly, but do not attract undue attention.”  


“Yes, your Highness!”  


One of her attendants hurried off. Kougyoku led Ja'far and her other attendant back to her chambers. “You will stay _right here,”_ she told Ja'far, pointing to a spot. “And not move until I tell you to, if you please.” She looked to her attendant. “Guard him. If he moves, do what you must to stop him.”  


“Yes, your Highness.”  


“Thank you.” She vanished behind a screen for a few minutes. When she returned, she was just straightening the heavy-looking overrobe she had put on. “This will do for now,” she muttered. Ja'far noticed she still had her sword drawn and in her hand. She half-smiled at Ja'far. “Your patience is appreciated. I was considering going to find my brother myself, but, well, making a scene seemed like a bad idea.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Subtlety is to our benefit, certainly.”  


They didn't have long to wait before Kougyoku's attendant returned. He was accompanied by Prince Kouen, the dragon-man, and a disheveled, red-haired man Ja'far hadn't seen before. Ja'far knelt, hoping he didn't look intimidated. Kouen was studying him, and, well, his scrutiny was _intense-_ it almost felt like a spell in itself.  


After a moment, Kouen turned to Kougyoku. “You're alright?”  


She nodded. “Yes. Um, he's been very cooperative so far- he gave me his weapons and everything.”  


“Huh.” The other redhead frowned at Ja'far thoughtfully. He had a few red scales near his eyes- they looked almost like freckles at first glance- and his posture was oddly hunched. “Your attendant didn't know what, exactly, was happening, would you fill us in?”  


“Oh! Yes! Sorry! So, he came to talk to us because her Majesty's foreign wizards are, um, apparently committing serious crimes in other countries. Like, in Mustasim, Lord Ithnan tried to brainwash the Queen,” Kougyoku explained. “Except he couldn't prove it to me, besides saying that the Queen would confirm his story.”  


Kouen scowled. “The Queen of Mustasim.”  


“Y-Yes.” Kougyoku seemed more nervous talking to her brothers than she had handling Ja'far.  


“Shou. Go retrieve Jun Jun, immediately.”  


The dragon-man looked up in surprise. “And leave you alone with a spy, your Highness?”  


“Koumei and Kougyoku are with me. We'll be fine. Go.”  


“...Yes, your Highness.” Shou left, casting a suspicious look over his shoulder at Ja'far.  


“You. Stand up. Tell me your name.”  


Ja'far stood- making sure to keep his movements slow and non-threatening. “Ja'far, your Highness.”  


“And what is your connection to all this? Are you an agent from Mustasim?”  


“No, your Highness. I have been working against the wizards in question for several months now, and that led me to Mustasim, and from there, here,” Ja'far explained.  


Koumei sighed. “So if we contact the Queen of Mustasim, would she vouch for you and your story?”  


“Absolutely.”  


“We'll confirm that for ourselves. So what brought you after these wizards in the first place?”  


“They have been trying to kill a god in the far south, while also causing problems in other parts of the world. Those problems have been, as far as I can tell, related to that ultimate goal of theirs,” Ja'far said.  


Kouen and Koumei exchanged surprised looks, and Kougyoku covered her mouth, eyes widening. “Kill a _god?”_ Koumei asked. “Is that possible?”  


“The followers of that god do not want to find out.”  


“Can't say I blame them.”  


“Does her Majesty have anything to do with this?” Kouen asked.  


“I have no concrete evidence one way or the other, unfortunately,” Ja'far replied. “There is also a fourth wizard- besides Ithnan, Falan and Wahid- who is their ringleader. Intelligence suggested she was based here, but I have been unable to locate proof of her existence. Oh- I also ought to inform you that Ithnan and Wahid were both killed recently.”  


“Two less to worry about, if you're telling the truth. But there's a fourth? What is her name?” Kouen asked.  


“Arba.”  


Kouen gave Koumei a questioning look. Koumei shrugged. “Never heard that name.”  


_“Oh,”_ Kougyoku whispered. Everyone turned to look at her, and she blushed. “Oh, um... I-I heard Falan and Wahid mention her. Wahid, er, made a very... _crass_ comment about her and the Emperor.”  


“About her and our father?” Koumei asked, raising his eyebrows.  


Kougyoku nodded, embarrassed.  


_“That's_ an angle we didn't look into,” Koumei muttered. “Maybe we should have, the way our honored father couldn't keep it in his robes...”  


Kougyoku blushed darker.  


“So she _is_ here, or at least was in contact with our father.” Kouen stroked his beard, thinking. “Your story is becoming more credible by the minute, Ja'far.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Your Highness, may I ask you something?”  


“Go ahead.”  


“Just how long have Falan and the others been a part of your court?”  


“Her Majesty brought them in after the deaths of the Emperor and his two eldest sons,” Kouen replied. “At that time, we thought little of it, because she was- as far as we knew- focused on building national security.”  


_Did they create that opening, or are they just opportunists?_ Ja'far wondered. “I see.”  


“So are you here with the wizard from Mustasim?” Koumei asked.  


“I am not here on behalf of Mustasim's Queen,” Ja'far replied. It wasn't a lie, even if it didn't quite answer the question. He didn't want to tell any lies he didn't have to, but he doubted Koumei would let it rest with just that.  


But he was saved from further questions on that subject by Kougyoku's attendant, Koubun, entering hurriedly. He looked around the room, taking the scene in with wide-eyed confusion for a moment before bowing hastily. “Your...your Highnesses, I didn't mean to intru-”  


Koumei sighed resignedly. Kouen leveled a sharp glare at him. “You've been gone a while.”  


Koubun stared, mouth hanging open. Ja'far managed to keep a straight face, but only just. It took Koubun a long moment to compose himself. “I...I apologize deeply for my absence. May I inquire as to...to what my Princess owes the honor...?”  


“Come here, I'll explain,” Kougyoku said quickly, giving her brothers an apologetic glance.  


As Koubun hurried to her side, Koumei said, “It should go without saying, Ka Koubun, but everything being discussed in this room right now is a matter of utmost secrecy. Am I understood?” Though nothing else about his demeanor changed, his eyes sharpened as they focused on Koubun, becoming almost as intense as Kouen's. Ja'far felt a chill go down his spine- _is Kouen really the most dangerous?_  


“Y-Yes, your Highness!”  


Luckily for Koubun (who Kougyoku drew into a whispered conference), the dragon-man- Shou- returned then with the tiefling woman Yamraiha had been speaking with the day before. She bowed. “Your Highnesses, you had need of me?” she asked.  


“Yes. Jun Jun, contact the Queen of Mustasim for me,” Kouen said. “I don't care how you do it, I want to be speaking with her, personally, in five minutes or less.”  


“No selling souls, though,” Koumei said. It was impossible to tell if he was joking or not.  


Jun Jun nodded. She bowed to Kougyoku. “In that case... Your Highness, may I please borrow a mirror?”  


“Oh- of course, just a moment,” Kougyoku replied. She hurried behind the screen again, returning quickly with an intricately decorated silver mirror, at least the size of a dinner plate. “Will this do?”  


“Yes, thank you.” Jun Jun placed it on a table and began muttering over it. After a minute, she stepped back slightly.  


_“Hello? Who are you?”_ The voice was an old man's- Mogamett, Ja'far realized after a moment.  


“I am Jun Jun, a wizard of the Kou Imperial Court, my lord,” Jun Jun replied. “I am contacting you on behalf of First Prince Ren Kouen, who wishes to speak with your Queen regarding an urgent political matter.”  


There was a slight pause, then Mogamett asked, _“I apologize for my rudeness, young lady, but might I have some confirmation that you do, indeed, speak for Prince Kouen in this situation?”_  


Jun Jun looked over her shoulder. Kouen stepped forward. “She does. I am Kouen.”  


_“So you are. You look older than when I last spoke to you, your Highness.”_  


“No doubt, Lord Mogamett. We last spoke ten years ago, when your daughter came to help with the aftermath of the fire.”  


_“That's right. Well, if you are contacting us now, it must be urgent; I will place you in contact with her Majesty the Queen.”_  


“I appreciate your understanding.”  


There was another, longer pause; a faint whooshing sound, and then muffled voices. Then, after a few minutes, Dunya's voice. _“First Prince Kouen. It is an honor and pleasure to hear from you.”_  


Kouen's brow furrowed. “The honor is mine, your Majesty. I have a few questions to ask of you, if I may.”  


_“Yes, of course. Lord Mogamett said it was an urgent matter, I hope everything is alright in Kou?”_  


“That is up for debate. What do you know of a wizard named Ithnan?”  


There was a short pause. _“...He overwrote my memories, and attempted to turn me against my own court. When his treachery was discovered, he fled. He was recently slain, thank the Gods. What brought this on?”_  


Kouen turned the mirror so Ja'far could see Dunya's worried face. Ja'far bowed. “Your Majesty.”  


_“Oh, my... Ja'far? What are you doing?”_ Dunya asked, surprised. She clearly had other questions, but, to Ja'far's relief, did not ask them.  


“The situation is more complicated than I had originally assumed. I don't think I will be able to simply gather information and retreat to work out a plan as I had hoped.”  


Kouen turned the mirror away to look into it himself. “So you are familiar with him.”  


_“Yes, that's right. He is not from my kingdom, but I have very good reason to trust him.”_  


Kouen nodded. “I understand, your Majesty. Then it seems we can trust him, after all.”  


_“I take it this means you have become aware of the malicious forces who are hiding in your country?”_  


“Exactly. Now we act.”  


_“I am pleased to hear that. One of my most powerful wizards, Lady Yamraiha, is currently studying at your palace- if you have need her assistance, simply let her know.”_  


“Thank you, your Majesty. I will keep that in mind. For now, I need to plan my course of action. If you will excuse me?”  


_“Of course, your Highness. May the gods watch over you.”_  


“Thank you, your Majesty.” He nodded to Jun Jun, and the mirror returned to normal. “...It seems we have been surprisingly fortunate.”  


Koumei snorted. “Is that the right word? Mustasim likely wasn't their only target, and if this gets back to Kou...”  


“That's why we root them out first.” Kouen crossed the room, and put a hand on Kougyoku's shoulder. “Kougyoku. You have done well today. Both in listening to Ja'far, and in sending for us as subtly as possible.”  


Kougyoku smiled brightly; the praise obviously meant a lot to her. “Thank you!”  


Kouen turned to Ja'far. “As for you...it seems we really _are_ working towards the same goal.”  


“Yes, your Highness.”  


“Guess it's pointless to stay suspicious,” Koumei said. “Kougyoku, you had his weapons, right? You can give them back, now.”  


“Oh- right!” Kougyoku hurried forward and handed the knives and ring back to Ja'far. “Here you are. Thank you for your patience while we confirmed your story.”  


Ja'far smiled, feeling ten times more at ease now that he was armed again. (Somehow, even being cleared of suspicion hadn't helped as much as this.) “Please, think nothing of it. I completely understand the necessity.” He slid the ring back onto his finger, and let his wires slither back into place under his sleeves. Turning to Kouen, he bowed and said, “Your Highness, I place myself at your disposal for the time being. How would you like me to proceed from here?”  


“Hmm...” Kouen studied him thoughtfully. “You stand out, so staying out of sight would be for the best.”  


Ja'far couldn't help thinking Shou and Jun Jun stood out just as much as he did. But commenting would have been rude, so he held back. “Of course, your Highness. I can be invisible, if you wish.”  


“Good. For the moment, I want you to stay with me- invisible, of course. Are you known to Lady Yamraiha?”  


“Yes.”  


Kouen nodded. “I want you to contact her secretly tonight and make sure she is willing and prepared to assist us, in the event that it becomes necessary.”  


“Understood.” He twisted the ring on his finger, vanishing from sight. “I will stay with you until you dismiss me.”  


“I should get one of those,” Koumei muttered.  


“No you shouldn't,” Kouen replied. “You'd fall asleep somewhere inconvenient, and we would all trip over you.”  


Koumei sighed. “...Well, you're not wrong.”  


“Jun Jun, fill Kouha in on what happened here. Tell him not to take any rash action, but stay alert and await further instructions.”  


“Yes, your Highness.”  


“Koumei, see if your agents can dig up anything about an 'Arba'. Now that we have an idea where to start, it should be simpler.”  


“Alright. I'll keep you updated.”  


“Good. Kougyoku...” Kouen studied his younger sister, frowning thoughtfully. “You're friends with Judar, aren't you.”  


“Y-Yes...”  


“...Well, he's too young to be involved. And given his personality, I doubt anyone's told him much. Keep your ears and eyes open, and let me know if you overhear anything interesting. Don't mention Wahid or Ithnan's deaths.”  


“Of course!” It was hard to miss the note of relief in her voice.  


“I know this puts you in a rough position,” Koumei commented. “If you want to lay low while we deal with this...”  


Kougyoku bowed her head. “My loyalty is to the Empire and my family,” she said firmly. “I will do whatever is needed to protect them.”  


“She's a warrior of Kou with the blood of dragons, same as us,” Kouen said. “Don't underestimate her.”  


Koumei rubbed the back of his head. “I know.”  


From the way Kougyoku was looking at Kouen, she wasn't used to being acknowledged that way.  


Kouen glanced around the room, as if checking to make sure he hadn't missed any details. “I will bring Princess Hakuei up to date tonight- we had planned to meet anyway, so that shouldn't rouse any suspicion. For now, if you need me, I'll be in the library.”  


“What a shocking development,” Koumei murmured. Kouen shot him a glare that might have stopped a dragon in its tracks; Koumei did not look bothered.  


With that, everyone split up to go about the rest of their day. Ja'far followed Kouen and Shou. _That went better than expected. I hope Sin and the others aren't too upset with me for changing the plan... I think this is for the best, though._


	31. Chapter thirty-one

The day was a long one; Kouen spent a surprising amount of it in the library, reading (Ja'far ended up reading over his shoulder, since there was nothing else to do. At least Kouen had interesting taste in books). He also visited the military barracks (Ja'far thought he glimpsed Sharrkan, but didn't get close enough to see for sure), and met with a few officials. The meetings _might_ have been interesting, but Ja'far was told to stay out of them. And Shou got to hold on to him, just to make sure he didn't sneak in later on. Just because they trusted him regarding the wizard problem, apparently, he was not trusted with state secrets. Reasonable, really.  


As the sun went down, Kouen said, “Ja'far, go talk to Lady Yamraiha as we discussed. When you're done, come to Princess Hakuei's quarters- you know where they are, I assume?”  


“Yes, your Highness.”  


“Good. Shou will be waiting outside for you.”  


Ja'far slipped off, hurrying back to where the others were staying. One of the doors was open; Sin was standing in the doorway, looking out over the courtyard. Enjoying the evening breeze, one would assume. Ja'far edged past him into the room, brushing up against him to let him know he was there.  


After a moment, Sin came back inside, closing the door. “Ja'far, I hope that was you.”  


“It was,” Ja'far assured him, becoming visible. “Yamraiha, could you mute the room?”  


Yamraiha blinked. “What, this one? Why?”  


“Just a precaution.”  


After a moment, Yamraiha nodded, holding out a hand and whispering a spell. “Alright, done.”  


“Did something happen?” Sin asked.  


“Yes. I deviated from the plan,” Ja'far replied.  


“In... what way?”  


“I've been observing a lot of the royal family, and I discovered they are seriously uncomfortable with Falan and the others,” Ja'far began hesitantly. “They had been trying to investigate, but have basically been at a stalemate. And almost no one had heard of Arba- though there's some thought she had relations with the late Emperor, Koutoku. They didn't even know Ithnan and Wahid were dead.” He paused, seeing the beginnings of comprehension in Sin's eyes. “I...I decided it would make the most sense to try and enlist their assistance. So I, well, talked to them.”  


Sin's hands clenched into fists. “Ja'far...what the _hell?_ That is a _huge_ risk, and you didn't even bother mentioning it to the rest of us first?”  


“I know it's not what we planned,” Ja'far said. “And I _know_ it was a major risk, but we need information, we need to move quickly, and working with the royal family will make it easier to deal with the problem.”  


“Your logic is sound,” Yamraiha said. “But really, Ja'far, we were just here for information!”  


“They could have _killed_ you,” Sin snapped. “I'm surprised they didn't, to be honest.”  


“I thought it through, and chose to approach the person least likely to attack immediately.” Ja'far sighed. “I know you're angry, Sin, but-”  


“Angry doesn't even begin to cover it, actually. You risked your life like it was _nothing,_ and didn't even bother to tell us first? They could have killed you, and we would never have known what happened to you.”  


Ja'far scowled. He didn't want to deal with this. Turning to Yamraiha, he said, “Prince Kouen would like to request your cooperation, by the way. He doesn't know I'm with you, just that I know you. I felt it was reasonable to keep that part quiet.”  


_“Reasonable,”_ Sin muttered darkly.  


“Your Queen volunteered you, more or less. They contacted her to confirm my story.”  


Yamraiha glanced over at Sin, troubled, before nodding to Ja'far. “Well, if Dunya wants me to help them, I will. Tell the prince I await his word, I guess.”  


“Right.”  


“You know...I could have done this,” Yamraiha pointed out. “Jun Jun works for one of the princes, so I could have talked to her, and you wouldn't have needed to put yourself at risk that way.”  


“I wasn't sure they would be willing to accept foreign assistance,” Ja'far replied.  


“And you didn't want to put anyone else at risk.”  


“Well...yes.”  


Sin made a strangled noise of intense frustration. “Will you _ever_ stop treating yourself as though you're dispensable?” he asked.  


“You're underestimating my ability to escape,” Ja'far replied, annoyed. “They wouldn't have killed me immediately, Sin! I would have had time to find a way out. I'm not stupid, I'm not suicidal. I really did think this through.” He carefully ignored the fact that if things had gone poorly and they hadn't killed him on sight, it would have been because they wanted to torture him for information first.  


“You still should have talked to us first!”  


“I _know_ that! And if I felt we had more time, then I would have!”  


“Oh? And why don't we have time?”  


Ja'far glared at him. “One, if Arba and the others learn we're here, they may flee. Two, we don't know what kind of magic's on you, and I want to get rid of it as soon as possible.”  


“So it's at least partially because of me,” Sin said flatly.  


“Honestly? _Yes,”_ Ja'far snapped. “In part. So what?”  


“So _maybe_ I don't want people to risk their lives for me- especially not you!”  


“Well _too fucking bad._ I'm not letting anything happen to you.”  


“I don't want to let anything happen to you, either, but _apparently_ you can't help yourself, can you?”  


“Um, could you two maybe calm down?” Yamraiha suggested nervously.  


“Nothing bad happened! I know you're angry, but you _know_ you'd do the same damn thing in my position!” Ja'far said, ignoring Yamraiha.  


Sin shook his head. “That's not the point! You can't write it off after the fact saying 'nothing bad happened'!”  


“Watch me.”  


Masrur turned to Yamraiha. “Cover your ears.” He stood up and let out a lion's roar that shook the room, startling Ja'far and Sin. They stared at him. “Stop arguing.”  


Ja'far sighed, deflating. “...Sorry about that.” He looked over at Sin. “...Can we discuss this in the other room?”  


“I...yeah, alright,” Sin grumbled.  


They retreated to the other room, and Sin slid the door shut behind them. “I understand why you're angry,” Ja'far said. “I really do. And I'm...sorry I didn't talk to the rest of you first. But I _do_ think I did the right thing.”  


Sin ran a hand through his hair, frowning at the ground. “Look, I usually trust your judgment,” he said. “But _goddamn,_ when it comes to protecting other people you tend to, I don't know. Stop seeing yourself as important. It really worries me.”  


“I know. I'll try to, um, be more clear-headed,” Ja'far said. “But you understand why _I'm_ worried, right? And that it's not just because of you?”  


“Yeah, I get it.” Sin sighed. “I just don't want to lose you.”  


“I don't want to lose you, either.”  


Sin studied him a moment, then pulled Ja'far close, holding him tightly. “Also, for future reference, let's not fight in front of the kids,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.  


“Yamraiha's part elf, remember? I think she's older than we are.”  


“On our way here, you were making sure she ate breakfast and didn't stay up all night reading. She's one of our kids now, older or not.”  


“I don't know if that's how this works,” Ja'far protested, smiling.  


“Ssh, just accept it.” Sin kissed his forehead. “You know, this is normally the stage of the argument where make-up sex gets involved.”  


“'Make-up sex' sounds like something you just made up to get me in bed with you,” Ja'far replied. “And unfortunately for both of us, I need to go back and report in to Prince Kouen.”  


“I didn't make it up.” Sin sighed, nuzzling Ja'far's hair. “Do you really have to go back already?”  


Ja'far felt Sin's arms tighten around him slightly. “I...might be able to stay a little longer,” Ja'far said softly. “Not long enough, but... a little while.”  


“I'll take what I can get,” Sin said, tilting Ja'far's chin up so he could kiss him. “You're amazing, by the way. Talking to princes, setting up alliances...Rurumu's going to be _seriously_ proud of you when you tell her. _I'm_ proud of you, now that I'm thinking straight.”  


“Really?” Ja'far asked.  


“Yes, really!” Sin smiled. “Come on, just a few months ago, you were an angry assassin who would rather stab people than talk to them, and now you're convincing royalty to listen to you? How could I _not_ be proud of that? You've come such a long way from back then.”  


“Because I had an excellent teacher.”  


Sin nodded. “Oh, definitely. But it's also your own talent that's letting you put those lessons to use in such amazing ways.”  


“Well, if you put it that way, I _do_ sound kind of impressive,” Ja'far agreed.  


“You really, really are.” Sin kissed him.  


Several minutes later, they went back out into the main room. Yamraiha looked up, surprised. “And here I thought you'd be busy, er...'making up' for a while longer,” she commented.  


Sin grinned; Ja'far elbowed him before he could comment. “I shouldn't stay long. I need to report back to Prince Kouen,” he explained. “But I did want to make sure all of you were doing alright.”  


Yamraiha giggled. “Yes, _mother,_ we're all remembering to go to bed on time,” she teased. More seriously, she said, “We haven't made your level of progress, but I think we'll be able to move faster, now that we're working with the Kou.”  


“That's good. I think they're going to trust you more, so that ought to help,” Ja'far said. He smiled at Masrur. “What about you? I hope you haven't been too bored.”  


Masrur shook his head. “Sin and I explored a little today,” he replied. “While she was studying. I hadn't seen this much of the palace before. It's interesting.”  


“Did you get near the barracks at all?” Ja'far asked. “I thought I saw Sharrkan earlier, but I didn't have time to check.”  


“Saw him, but from a distance. He waved.”  


“Maybe we'll get a chance to say hello tomorrow,” Sin said. “Or should we stay with you, Yamraiha?”  


She thought for a moment. “Stay close to the library. I doubt anything will happen tomorrow, but if anything does, I'll contact you magically. Ah, I should teach you 'Message' this evening, it'll be good if you can use it, too. I ought to contact Dunya, just to check in.”  


“Alright.”  


Ja'far sighed silently. “...I think I've stayed as long as I can.”  


“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Sin complained. He hugged Ja'far tightly. “Don't take any more stupid risks, alright?”  


“I know, I know. The rest of you need to be careful too, though,” Ja'far replied. He gave Sin a quick kiss, then turned invisible. “It's going to be nice when I _don't_ have to spend most of my time invisible. I'm starting to feel like a ghost.”  


“Well, I know _I_ miss looking at you,” Sin commented.  


“Oh, just let me out already.”  


The walk back to the royal family's section of the palace didn't feel as long as it usually did. Ja'far supposed he was getting used to it- well, it had been a couple days. So it was hardly surprising.  


Shou was outside Princess Hakuei's quarters as planned, conversing with some guards. Ja'far approached silently, and flicked the dragon-man's arm twice. At the signal, Shou excused himself from the guards, and went into the princess's quarters. Ja'far followed silently.  


It was quite a gathering in there; Hakuei, Paimon and Seishun were there, of course, along with Kouen, the winged lion with a human face (a lammasu, Kouen had said; his name was Kokuton), and Kouen's subordinate who was, apparently, Seishun's brother Seishuu (why their names were so similar, Ja'far had no idea). Paimon didn't seem to approve of all this; her coils took up quite a lot of space on the couch between Hakuei and Kouen (with some of her tail draped 'casually' across Hakuei's lap), and she was watching Kouen and his retainers _very_ sharply.  


Shou bowed, closing the door behind him. “Your Highnesses. He's here.”  


“Good. Ja'far, show yourself.”  


Dropping the enchantment, Ja'far knelt respectfully. “Your Highnesses.”  


“Was Lady Yamraiha willing to support us?”  


“Yes, Prince Kouen. She awaits your instructions.”  


“Good.”  


Paimon flicked out her serpent's tongue, testing the air. “Huh. You're pretty strange, aren't you?”  


“So I've heard, my lady.”  


“What are you, anyway?”  


_Asks the woman with the snake body?_ “With respect, I'm not here to discuss myself,” Ja'far said. “I'm here to assist you.”  


Hakuei smiled. “And we're glad to have you.”  


“Thank you, your Highness. That is high praise, considering your allies are already such a formidable force.”  


“I wasn't expecting an unaffiliated agent to be so polite,” she commented.  


“I had an excellent teacher, your Highness.”  


“I suppose you must have.” She sighed. “Anyway, as we were discussing before you arrived... I tried talking to mother about the wizards again. She said she would explain things after I've taken the throne. After all, I'm too _busy_ right now with wedding preparations. That's a dismissal if I've ever heard one.”  


“So her role remains unclear,” Kouen said, scowling. “Either she's a fool being used like a puppet, or she's a genius.”  


Ja'far frowned thoughtfully. _Should I mention the business with Prince Hakuryuu? After all, his sister's here, so she ought to know, if anyone..._  


“Hey, Ja'far, right?” Seishun asked, smiling. “You don't need to stay there. This may be a long meeting. Come sit over here.” He patted the seat next to him.  


“Oh...thank you,” Ja'far said. He glanced at Kouen and Hakuei, but neither of them seemed to object. He sat down. “Actually, if I may...Prince Hakuryuu seems very convinced that the Empress is, um, the one using the wizards.”  


Hakuei looked at him sharply. “My brother is?”  


“Yes, your Highness. I overheard a conversation between him and Falan's apprentice, Judar. Prince Hakuryuu also seems convinced that the Empress was involved in the fire at the palace ten years ago,” Ja'far said, choosing his words carefully. “He sounded prepared to act on this information.”  


Kouen's eyebrows shot up. Hakuei frowned. “He was speaking to Judar about this?”  


“Yes.”  


“There...wasn't a danger that Judar would act without him, was there?” she asked.  


“No, Judar promised to follow the prince's lead.”  


Hakuei sighed, looking relieved. “Then that's alright. I'm sure I'll have time to talk to him about this- Hakuryuu wouldn't act rashly.”  


“He talks that way when he's upset about things,” Seishun chipped in. “But he's usually fairly practical, when you get down to it.”  


“Yeah, he talks a good game when he doesn't go off and sulk,” Paimon replied. “He _is_ still a kid, after all.”  


Hakuei nodded. “Still, if he somehow learned something we don't know, I think it's important to find out. Who knows, it might be the key facts we need.”  


“Still...you said Judar was going to _help_ him?” Shou asked.  


“Don't sound so surprised,” Paimon said. “Kid's had a crush on Hakuryuu for a while now, didn't you notice?”  


“Whether that's true or not, even Judar's not capricious enough to betray his family for that!”  


“He doesn't think it would be a betrayal,” Ja'far said. “He believes the Empress is using Falan and Wahid.”  


Kouen folded his arms and leaned back. “...That's a new angle. Does it sound plausible?”  


“From his point of view, yes. He mentioned that Falan and Wahid had discussed concerns regarding the Empress and what she wasn't telling them. But it's also likely that he doesn't know the whole story, either.”  


“Interesting.” He looked over at Hakuei. “Definitely talk to Hakuryuu tomorrow. He might know something he hasn't told us yet, after all.”  


Hakuei nodded. “I'll go see him at morning training- we haven't sparred in a while anyway.”  


Paimon grinned. “Does that mean you're going to send him sprawling again?”  


“Well, not if he's learned to guard his legs,” Hakuei replied, smiling.  


_Alright, well, if she's going to talk to him, things should be fine,_ Ja'far thought. _Still, I wonder if he'll tell her what he told Judar? He seemed very invested in keeping her out of things before. Will that change if she confronts him directly?_  


Kouen was just about to say something, when a loud _boom_ shook the building. Everyone was on their feet in an instant, weapons in hand. “Shou, go check-”  


A guard threw the door open, bowing. “Your Highnesses, there's been an explosion- the throne room is aflame! And there appears to be a battle going on, there's ice in the courtyard from some sort of spell-”  


_So much for talking to them first._  


Kouen scowled. “Shou, Kokuton. Get Koumei, Kouha and Kougyoku- we're going to the throne room. Have Jun Jun call over the wizard from Mustasim, since we know we can trust her. This is too much of a coincidence.”


	32. Chapter thirty-two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter, there's going to be a second POV for part of it.

Hakuei was not inclined to wait for Kouen to assemble his siblings before she went to find out what was happening at the throne room. She, Paimon and Seishun took off at a run. Ja'far's hands tightened on his blades, but he stayed where he was; _I told Kouen I would follow his orders, and it's probably better to wait for Sin and the others anyway._  


“Ja'far, Seishuu, go back up Hakuei. Make sure we have a path to get to her.”  


Ja'far wasn't sure why he felt such a sense of relief, but it didn't matter. He ran for the throne room, with Seishuu mostly keeping up with him.  


The imposing building had a gaping hole in the side of it. It was also smoldering, though luckily nothing had started to burn seriously yet. _Someone must have dropped a fireball. Judar, probably._ There were streaks of ice along the courtyard; the fight must have started outdoors. Ja'far didn't even slow down; he could see where Hakuei and the others were entering the building. He and Seishuu caught up at the doorway.  


Inside, dwarfed by the lavishly-decorated pillars, stood Hakuryuu. He was already injured- not seriously, as best Ja'far could tell- and he looked enraged. By his side floated Judar, holding a staff of jagged metal with a glowing red gem.  


Facing off against them was a woman Ja'far didn't recognize- she looked very much like Hakuryuu and Hakuei. She held a sword in one hand, and lightning crackled in her other. She turned her head when Hakuei entered, smiling- and it was one of the more unsettling smiles Ja'far had seen in his lifetime.  


“Hakuei, dear, your brother is having a bit of a tantrum,” she said, and her voice chilled Ja'far to the bone. She was the one he'd heard speak to Judar.  


_But her voice and the woman I remembered from the Guild don't match- what's going on?_  


“Mother, pardon my language, but what the _hell_ is going on?” Hakuei asked, voice full of barely-contained fury.  


“Hakuei, _run!”_ Hakuryuu yelled. “Please, just do as I say!”  


Judar, on the other hand, decided to ignore the interruption, sending a bolt of ice at the woman who must be the Empress. “Eat _shit!”_  


Expertly, the Empress blocked it. “Language, Judar. Honestly, what has Falan been _teaching_ you?”  


“Mother-”  


“Oh, stupid little Hakuei. Don't you get it yet?” the Empress asked, not quite containing her impatience. Her smile stretched into a demented grin. “I'm not your mother. Not really.”  


Suddenly, the pieces began to click into place. Ja'far glanced at Hakuei; on her face was the same dawning comprehension. “Wait- you can't be...Arba?” the princess asked.  


The Empress laughed. “You actually _did_ figure it out? I'm amazed, it took you long enough!” She spread her arms dramatically. “That's right. I needed a place of power, and Kou seemed like as good a place as any! And I was right, of course, look at this country now!”  


“You... _what did you do to my mother?!”_  


“Killed her and took her place, of course! Your father and brothers came too close to figuring it out, so I had to get rid of the evidence.”  


Hakuei's hands tightened on her sword, and she charged in. “How _dare_ you! Monster!”  


The Empress- no, Arba- blocked her strike. “Oh, little Hakuei... You're a good fighter, of course, but you're no match for me.”  


Hakuryuu swung at her legs, but she dodged. “No, Hakuryuu, not even if you attack together. Both of you are leagues below me!” She laughed wildly. “Not to mention I have backup- which I'll want, I'm sure Kouen isn't far behind you.” She snapped her fingers.  


It was impossible to tell if they'd been hiding in the ceiling, or if she'd summoned them by some sort of magic. Either way, a veritable swarm of assassins, wizards, soliders...even a few lesser devils appeared. “Secure the courtyard outside, as well,” Arba called to them. “Don't let anyone else inside, understand?”  


_Well, this isn't good,_ Ja'far thought grimly. He didn't hesitate, jumping right in, blades flying.

_\---Kougyoku_

The courtyard in front of the throne room was a mess when they all arrived. Kougyoku's hands tightened on the hilt of her sword. _Judar, Hakuryuu...please be okay,_ she thought. _Gods, what have Falan and the others been_ doing? The robed figures, armed men and women, and oddly-shaped creatures spilling forth from the throne room couldn't be a good sign.  


“Stick together as best you can,” Kouen said firmly. “We make for the throne room.”  


Kougyoku looked over the assembled group a little nervously. Her brothers and their retainers, herself, Koubun and her other guards, and a trio of warriors from somewhere called Mustasim. _There's an awful lot of them, and not many of us..._  


Kouha grinned widely at her, his too-sharp teeth making him look a little unhinged. “Don't worry. We're going to be fine.” He flexed his clawed hands before raising his oversized sword. “We're _dragons,_ remember?”  


“...You're right,” she said, managing a smile back at him.  


“Don't forget what I taught you, princess,” Koubun said.  


Kougyoku nodded.  


To her left, Koumei was freeing his wings from his robes; to the right, there was a roar of flames- Kouen breathing fire. He was the only one of her brothers who could do it; the breath of flame was considered divine, and some at court took it as a sign that he was meant to be Emperor. _No time to think about that now,_ Kougyoku thought grimly. Their group advanced to meet the enemy.

_\--- Ja'far_

The crackle of electricity up his arms tingled. Ja'far could feel his arms getting tired; constantly blocking and stabbing was wearing on him. After a quick look to make sure none of his allies were close by, he dropped a cloud of supernatural shadow over the immediate area. If nothing else, it bought him a second to line up his next attack, to breathe.  


As best he could tell when he stepped out of the darkness, the battle against Arba was raging with all combatants still standing. Judar was surprisingly talented for a kid his age; coordinating his spells effortlessly with Hakuryuu and Hakuei, trying his best to make openings for the two of them to attack. And Hakuei seemed to have an ice spell she was using- or was she breathing ice, like the white dragons from the north?  


Out of the corner of his eye, Ja'far saw a bolt of lightning strike a cluster of wizards. _Sin._ He began working his way in that direction, climbing a pillar with a carved dragon on it. That gave him a bit of elevation- he jumped, landing on the head of a devil, blades stabbing into its neck. It gurgled and vanished, like they all had been when he stabbed them in vital spots.  


He stood, back to back with Sin. “Where are the others?”  


“Outside. We got separated, it's insane out there. You hurt?”  


“Nothing urgent. I found Arba, by the way. She's the Empress.” He ducked a ray of fire, pulling Sin to the side with him. His blades found the wizard's throat, and she went down with a choked-off scream.  


“Great, can we leave now?” Sin joked.  


Ja'far smiled. “Only if Yamraiha taught you to teleport.”  


Sin blocked an assassin's strike, and Ja'far put the enemy down before they could get their guard back up. “Let's see how close we can get to Arba. No matter what, she has to go down. I'd rather she didn't take anyone else with her.”

_\---Kougyoku_

_So this is a real battle,_ Kougyoku thought grimly. Her arms were exhausted already and her sword felt ten times heavier than it had at the start, but she kept hacking at her enemies. It seemed to her as though the enemies' numbers were working against them; they couldn't seem attack right with so many of them and so few targets. Even after they'd managed to split everyone up. Really, the wizards were the biggest problem- sitting up there on their carpets, raining spells down on them without a care for their allies on the ground. Fire didn't hurt her or her brothers; the wizards had stopped bothering after Kouen completely ignored a fireball, but that was hardly the only magic at the enemies' disposal- and that ice _stung._  


She really hadn't expected everything to smell so horrific already- but then again, with all the people Kouen had burnt with his breath, maybe it shouldn't have surprised her. Kougyoku also didn't want to think about where she was stepping, but she _did_ have to be careful not to slip in the blood and everything else. If she wasn't so focused on staying alive, she might have felt sick.  


The redhead from Mustasim was nearby; he picked up a huge fighter as if he was nothing and swung him, knocking down several enemies at once.  


That gave Kougyoku an idea. “Excuse me!” she called out, fighting her way towards him. “What's your name?”  


He blinked at her- probably thought she was crazy, asking something like that in the middle of battle. She probably was, honestly. “Masrur.”  


“Masrur. Could you throw me up there?” she asked, pointing with her sword. “Please? We have to start taking out the wizards, or they're going to slaughter us.” _I think Koumei's up there, but he can't get them all on his own._  


He nodded, picking her up easily. Kougyoku nearly bit her tongue as he swung her in a circle, gaining momentum, then let her go. For a giddy moment, she felt as though she was flying. Then she landed on one of the carpets. She refused to stumble _(princesses don't fall)._ Instead, she took a deep breath that caught on something in her throat, and breathed out a roaring column of flames at the cluster of wizards standing shocked on the carpet before her.  


Kouen wasn't _quite_ the only Ren who could breathe fire.

_\--- Ja'far_

The closer they got to Arba, the tougher their opponents were. Ja'far found that Sin's sword was the most effective against the devils, so he just used his wires to trap them while Sin took them out. “This is insane,” Sin said as they ran deeper into the throne room. His breathing was ragged, and he was at least as tired as Ja'far. “How did she summon so many?”  


“I don't know. Maybe she laid a trap,” Ja'far replied. “Yamraiha might know.”  


Sin cut down a misshapen lump of ooze. “I don't even know what half of these are.”  


“Me either.” Ja'far electrocuted a humanoid skeleton with a scorpion's tail; Sin beheaded it neatly. “Some of them are summoning each other, look.” He pointed off to the side, where a small, winged devil was bringing forth more lumps.  


“Damn. That's a problem.” Sin shook his head. “...We need to help those three stop Arba first. Maybe that'll send some of the devils back to where they came from.”  


Ja'far nodded. “And we need to keep the other enemies off their backs.” He threw his blades, one burying itself in the throat of a wizard (and setting off a minor explosion as his spell went awry), the other catching an assassin's arm so Ja'far could pull her off balance.  


“Yeah, this is going to be rough.” Sin finished off the assassin Ja'far had trapped.  


Arba didn't look injured- at least not badly. Ja'far thought he saw a scratch or two, but he and Sin were too far away for him to know for sure. Hakuei was definitely injured- a long slash down her side had stained her clothes dark red. Despite that, she was still moving well, calling out encouragement and instructions to her brother and Judar. Both of the boys were looking tired and worse for wear, but Hakuryuu looked as though he could keep moving from rage alone, and Judar clearly wasn't leaving him behind. Both were battered and bleeding, but Ja'far couldn't judge how severe any of their injuries were from so far away.  


A poorly blocked strike from Hakuryuu knocked Arba's headgear off- something that would have been meaningless, except for the instant change it brought about. Arba's form shifted, becoming taller; her hair lightened to brown, and her facial features became sharper, more angular. She laughed. “What, you still want to unmask me at this stage, Hakuryuu?”  


Ja'far stumbled, assaulted by memories. _So she_ was _the one who carved magic into my legs,_ he thought, trying to shake off his mind's uncomfortable need to relive that particular moment. _Just how many people has this woman hurt...?_  


“Ja'far, keep it together!”  


“Sorry, I-” A sword came down, and Ja'far barely dodged it. He stabbed its wielder in the eyes, ignoring the man's pained shriek. _Sin's right, I have to snap out of it._  


“You recognize her?”  


Ja'far nodded. “I encountered her at the Guild, years ago- I'll explain later.”  


“Right. We have other things to worry about first.”

_\--- Kougyoku_

Masrur had joined her up on the carpets, and the two of them working together had cleared several groups of wizards. Kougyoku took a moment to catch her breath- she was distantly amused to realize her breath was smoking now, after all the fire she'd breathed. _I haven't done that since I was little... And I've never done so much at once._  


“You breathe fire?” Masrur asked.  


Kougyoku nodded. “It runs in the family. Can you tell if anyone made it into the throne room?”  


“Sinbad did. Looks like everyone else is still out here.”  


_Sinbad? One of his companions, I suppose._ “I hope Judar and Hakuryuu are alright...” She shook her head. “Anyway, let's keep moving.”  


She guided the carpet to the next knot of wizards, leading with her flame breath, then jumping in with Masrur to take out anyone who survived. It was almost easy, now that she'd realized most wizards had trouble concentrating on spellwork when they were on fire.  


As they prepared to move on, Kougyoku felt a hand on her shoulder, and a cool burst of energy hummed under her skin. Her fatigue washed away, and her arms felt like arms again, instead of rubber. Kougyoku turned, and froze. _Falan..._  


All of the thousand and one questions she'd wanted to ask melted away immediately; she'd never seen Falan look so angry in her life. Or exhausted- she looked as if she hadn't slept in the month since Kougyoku had last seen her. “Hey, princess,” she said, tone deceptively calm. “Where's Judar?”  


“He...Kouen said he was in there,” Kougyoku said, pointing to the throne room with her sword. “Um. With Hakuryuu. Fighting the Empress.”  


Falan's hands clenched into fists. “Of fucking course he is.” She turned, and Kougyoku could see a faint crackling of energy gathering around her, shimmering like a heat haze. Then Falan paused, reaching out and touching Kougyoku's arm again. Kougyoku felt a tingle of energy, and her strength grew. “Don't get yourself killed, kiddo.”  


“You, either.”  


As Falan flew towards the palace, Masrur gave Kougyoku an odd look. “...Isn't she the enemy?”  


“Not if the Empress hurt Judar.” _I know he's right, that I'm stupid to trust her, knowing what I know. But on the other hand, with Wahid dead, Judar's all she has left- she'd never let anyone hurt him._  


_I just want her being nice to me not to have been a lie..._

_\---Ja'far_

Most of their enemies were slain- or had gone outside to stop Kouen and his team from entering- but the battle still raged. Arba seemed unstoppable, with equally powerful sword skills and spells. _Not much more,_ Ja'far thought. _We're getting close, hopefully we'll be able to help, even if it's just a distraction._  


But as they fought their way closer, Arba hit Hakuryuu with some kind of dark energy, sending him flying like a toy across the room. Judar flew down, barely managing to catch him before they both slammed into the wall. “Fuck,” he croaked, coughing, clearly winded.  


“Hakuryuu!” Hakuei called out.  


“He's alive,” Judar yelled back, breaking down in another coughing fit. “Ah, shit...”  


Arba laughed, holding out a hand, energy gathering. “Not for much longer. Being a 'mother' was fun, but I'm done with it for now.”  


Judar's eyes widened, and he held up a hand, forming a shimmering shield around himself and Hakuryuu. “Oh, this is gonna suck...” he said, grip on the prince tightening.  


A blast of dark energy left Arba's hand. Ja'far could see Hakuei moving to intercept it; he and Sin had broken free of their last opponents and were trying to get there, too, but it was too far, there was no way they could-  


A column of blinding light crashed through the ceiling, engulfing Arba and burning away the dark energy. Ja'far winced, stumbling to a halt. _Was that Yamraiha, just now...?_  


“Get away from my _son.”_  


Falan floated several feet off the ground, tightly gripping a worn-looking staff. To say she was enraged would be an understatement. The air around her rippled, and Ja'far could _feel_ the power radiating from her, even far away as he was.  


Arba held a glowing hand to her eyes for a moment, then grinned dementedly up at Falan. “You took your time getting back.”  


“Go to hell.”  


“Oh, sorry, did attacking your little Tess replacement upset you? He came after me first, you know.”  


Falan shouted something- a word Ja'far couldn't make out- and Arba staggered. Falan wasted no time, flying immediately to Judar's side. “You are in _so much trouble_ when I get done killing her,” she informed him, touching her staff to Judar's shoulder and holding her other hand over Hakuryuu.  


“It was Hakuryuu's idea.”  


“Excuses later. You're going to take Hakuryuu and get him the hell out of here, understand? Kougyoku's close by- get to her, she'll help keep you two safe so you can get him to a healer. Not one of ours, the _palace_ healers, understand?”  


“Yeah. But I want to-”  


_“Go.”_ Falan stepped back, and a shield of crackling green surrounded Judar and Hakuryuu. “Now, Judar.”  


Judar was going to argue, but he looked down at Hakuryuu and finally nodded. “...Yeah, alright.” He floated up into the air, holding onto his prince tightly. “Kick her _ass,_ mom.”  


“That's the plan.”  


Ja'far and Sin approached her, wary; Hakuei seemed to be doing the same thing. Hakuei's retainers were still fighting further away. Falan glanced around. “You three, come here.”  


They all traded looks. Sin shrugged, and they all edged closer. Falan's staff glowed, and Ja'far felt a tingle of energy wash over him. In its wake, he felt stronger, more alert- and most importantly, less exhausted. “Nice change from trying to kill us,” Sin commented.  


“I have priorities.” Falan raised her staff, pointing it at Arba. A bolt of ice shot out of it.  


Arba knocked it out of the air with a bolt of lightning. “You know you're no match for me, Falan.”  


“Just try me, Arba.”  


Ja'far darted in, hoping Arba was at least slightly distracted. She wasn't, unfortunately, and he couldn't quite dodge her sword in time. He gritted his teeth and used the chance to trap her arm with his wires, even as she slashed open his side.  


Sin and Hakuei charged, but Arba parried Sin's swordstroke almost lazily and managed to throw Ja'far in the way of Hakuei's strike. Ja'far hissed in pain as Hakuei's sword bit into his leg; luckily for him, she was able to pull the blow somewhat- otherwise, it would have been _really_ bad.  


“Oh, look who we have here- the warriors who were giving Falan and Wahid so much trouble,” Arba said. “Falan, did you ever learn what they stole from us? I know Ithnan and I didn't tell you the truth when we sent you to get it back.”  


“Arba, guess what I don't care about right now? That.”  


Arba laughed. “Really? That's too bad, it's about to become very relevant.”  


Ja'far exchanged a brief look with Sin- _did she recapture Aladdin somehow?_  


“See, that 'weapon' I told you about? Actually had two passengers in it who I neglected to mention,” Arba explained. “I'd originally hoped to combine them, and use them as a sacrifice to revive our Father. But the spell was undone too soon, it seems.” She grinned. “And the second passenger seems to have latched on to the thief who stole the weapon in the first place.”  


_This is leading up to something nasty._ Ja'far tightened his grip on his wires, sending electricity through them to shock Arba. She laughed, swinging him and throwing him into Sin. Sin half caught him, but they both fell to the ground.  


By the time they were on their feet again, Hakuei was down, and Arba was holding Falan off with some kind of spell. Arba turned to look at Sin, grinning widely. “His will _can't_ be enough to hold yours back- not for long. Here, let me give you a hand!” She flung energy at Sin.  


Sin flinched, taking a step back and trying to shield himself. Then he blinked. “That didn't do anything. Wait, what the-”  


A cold, malevolent presence swelled around Sin- no, it seemed to be welling up from within him. Every nerve in Ja'far's body was telling him to _run, get away,_ but he found himself stepping closer, grabbing Sin's hand. The brilliant gold of Sin's eyes flickered, darkened, came back- like a flame trying to survive being blown out. He turned to Ja'far, eyes wide. “Ja'far, I can't hold this back- you need to get _out_ of here, you need to run!”  


“No.” That unseen force was pressing against him, trying to push him away. “There's no way I'm leaving you, Sin. Don't give up so easily.”  


“Arba...just what the hell did you put in that stone?” Falan was asking.  


Arba's laughter split the air. “The most powerful wizard with ties to Il Ilah, of course! It just took a little necromancy.”  


“You didn't...”  


“That's right! Elder David.”  


A pulse of energy came out of Sin, and Ja'far was sent flying. He righted himself, but landed awkwardly on his injured leg and fell to one knee. Dimly, he heard Sin scream in pain.  


Ja'far pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth against the pain. _Sin..!_  


But it wasn't Sinbad inhabiting that body anymore. Ja'far was, distantly, surprised he could tell; just from the posture, from the distant expression as David flexed Sin's hands, dropping Sin's sword as if it was worthless.  


_“You!”_ Falan shrieked, face contorting with rage as she flew at him.  


David looked up at her in mild surprise. He didn't even move, but Falan flew back and slammed into the wall of the throne room so hard it cracked.  


Arba laughed. “You...you've returned!” she said, expression utterly deranged. “I spent so long hating you, fighting you...and yet, in a way, you were the closest to our Father- to Il Ilah!” She staggered forward a step. “I should really...I should have given you my strength from the beginning, shouldn't I?!”  


But in her madness, she wasn't paying attention to anything else. Hakuei pushed herself to her feet, swaying unsteadily. Though she could hardly stand, Hakuei raised her sword and struck Arba down. “For my family,” she whispered. She staggered, falling to her knees, then falling forward, unconscious.  


Ja'far's hands tightened on his blades. _One problem dealt with._ “You...let Sin go!” he snarled, taking a step forward.  


“There's no reason to,” David replied absently. “He's a perfect host for me.” He looked over at Ja'far, and his disgusted expression felt like a physical blow when worn on Sin's face. “You...you _are_ annoying. What he sees in an abomination like you, I cannot comprehend. Disgusting, really.”  


“A perfect host, you say?” Ja'far retorted. “I don't see how- I _know_ he's still fighting you.”  


“Troublesome, but it will stop soon enough.” David sighed. “You seem to be part of the reason, so I suppose I ought to get rid of you.”  


“Going to kill me, then?”  


“No, that would exacerbate the problem. I'll just send you somewhere you cannot return from.” This time, he held out a hand. Ja'far felt something behind him- a rush of hot air, and a whiff of a horrid stench. “Though there is no reason to be upset- I am just putting you where you belong.”  


And suddenly, Ja'far was falling. Sin's eyes brightened to gold, and he ran forward, reaching out to grab Ja'far, but the distance was too much.  


“Keep fighting him!” Ja'far yelled. “Don't you _dare_ give up, or else! I'll come back to you, I promise!”  


The hole in space closed, leaving him falling, and Ja'far closed his eyes. _I'll absolutely come back, I don't care where he's sent me._


	33. Chapter thirty-three

When Ja'far woke up, he was dizzy, disoriented, and in pain. He tried to move his arms- why did they hurt so much?- but was brought up short by the chains binding them. _Oh, right,_ he thought, opening his eyes. _I was captured._  


The sight that greeted his eyes was not a pleasant one, by any stretch of the imagination. A foul, rancid swamp as far as the eye could see- which was not as far as Ja'far would have liked; a dense, greenish, almost greasy fog lingered over the area. Around him were scattered shallow pools, like the one he was confined in. Inside many of them were chained beings of all descriptions- and all of them besides him seemed to be dead. A devil lay sleeping, guarding the place very badly. Off in the distance, he could make out something like a mountain.  


He had been captured not long after he had been sent here. Given his exhaustion from the battle, and the wounds he had sustained, he'd had little chance of fighting back.  


_I'm in Hell, aren't I?_ Ja'far thought. The understanding was innate; as certain as his recognition of the chain devil had been, so long ago. He shivered; the fetid water he was chained in was cold, and burned in his wounds. _I have to get out of here..._  


Panic welled up inside him, choking him. _They took my weapons, they took everything I had on me... And I'm trapped, I can't move! I'll die here, from blood loss or cold, or maybe starvation if I last long enough. _  
__

“Sin...” he whispered, resting his forehead against his knees.  


But the thought of Sin stirred something in him. _He's still fighting- I know he won't give up so easily. And then there's the others, I have to make sure they're alright. If David's hurt them, I'll learn magic just to tear him out of Sin and kill him again._  


His hands clenched into fists. _That's right. I have to go back. Even if I die, I'll go back as a ghost or something, it doesn't matter! I have to save Sin. _  
__

The chains were tight around his wrists. _Chains, hmm...well, I might actually be able to do something about that,_ he thought. _And I need my weapons back._ He looked more closely at the guard. _He_ does _look like one of the devils who captured me..._ Ignoring his pain and his chilled body with some difficulty, Ja'far examined him, looking for anything familiar.  


Ja'far was in luck; the guard had very familiar red wires sticking out of his belt. Ja'far took a long breath, steadying himself. _Now, let's see if this chain devil blood of mine is really worth anything,_ he thought grimly. Closing his eyes, he focused on the chains around his wrists. _Get off. You don't want to be binding someone like me._  


Commanding them as if they were sentient seemed ridiculous, honestly, but Ja'far didn't care. He wasn't entirely sure how else to make them move- with his wires, it was instinctive, like walking; these chains weren't part of him. It was hard to concentrate, too; he was so cold...  


_Keep it together._ He shook himself. _I have to get out of here._  


To the chains, he whispered, “I'm leaving. Release me or break.” In that moment, he truly meant it- without thinking about the 'how', or if it was even possible.  


And in that moment, the chains around his wrists loosened, letting him pull away.  


It was too soon to breathe a sigh of relief, though. Now he had to move, had to get to the guard who had his weapons. His legs shook as he stood; every movement was sluggish. As he stumbled out of the water, he collapsed onto the muddy ground. _Can I really do this...? I can barely move anymore, I was bleeding in that pool too long..._  


He lightly punched himself in the side- right where Arba had cut him open. The resulting flash of pain was almost unbearable, but it did clear his head a little. Ja'far forced himself to his feet- wobbling dangerously, but remaining upright. _If any guards catch me like this, I'm dead- I have to move quickly._  


Well, 'quickly' wasn't going to happen. He stumbled towards the sleeping devil, doing his best to keep an eye out for other threats. As soon as he was close enough, he called out to his weapons; one wire rose up like a snake, and the blade plunged into the devil's throat. The devil twitched and thrashed a little, but his death was quick enough that his death throes weren't very spectacular.  


Ja'far let his legs give out again, sitting next to the devil's corpse. It barely took a thought to call his weapons back to him, letting them coil around his arms. Compared to that, searching the guard's body was much more strenuous. But Ja'far found his ring (and immediately put it on and activated it). Some of the guard's outerwear was reasonably clean, and blessedly dry- Ja'far hastily switched out his shirt for the guard's. After a moment's indecision, he put on the guard's coat, too, cutting the sleeves shorter so his hands were more or less free. His shoes were soaked, and the guard's were a weird shape, so he decided barefoot was his best option.  


Warm, dry clothes helped. Ja'far tore strips from the guard's inner tunic to bind up the worst of his wounds- that slash on his side from Arba's blade, and the slightly deeper one on his leg. He had dozens of other scratches, but none were as life-threatening as those. Bandaging his wounds took much longer than it should have; his fingers were clumsy, halfway numb.  


But finally, he was done. _This is better,_ he thought, relief trickling through him. _But now where do I go? How do I get back to Sin and the others?_  


He stood, swaying slightly, and looked around. It was impossible to tell what time of day it was; the sky was obscured by the weird, greenish fog. It seemed clearer near the distant mountain. _Or maybe it's just shadows. Either way, if I climb that, I might be able to see better._  


So he started in the direction of the mountain. His body didn't want to move; even if he ignored the intense pain in his leg at every step, every instinct was suggesting he lie down and rest. Ja'far knew, though, that walking would help warm him up a bit. _Maybe I'll rest if I find somewhere drier to sit down for a minute._  


There were bodies in the pools he was passing- Ja'far found himself looking at each one, just to be sure they were really dead. _But really, what would I do with a living person if I found one?_ he thought grimly. _I have to get back quickly, do I really have time to save anyone I find?_  


Despite his rising nausea- from all the rotted, bloated bodies he was passing, or as a side effect of his own body's growing weakness, Ja'far wasn't sure- he found his stomach was growling. _Gods, I don't remember when I ate last- I've been so damn busy...it's a blur._  


_Well, I've survived worse...right?_  


_I must have, even if I can't think of anything right now._  


There was another guard; Ja'far could see it through the fog. A chain devil, of all things. Ja'far could have laughed. _Well, let's see if I can sneak up on it...come to think of it, where would be a reasonable place to stab it? It's covered in chains, there isn't much exposed..._  


He studied the chain devil as he approached, slowing his steps to keep them silent. Most of the monster's vitals were covered by chains, but its eyes were not. _Well, that's something, at least. And it doesn't seem to be able to see through my invisibility, luckily..._  


As he got close, it tensed, looking around in confusion; it must have heard him, or sensed him somehow. Ja'far threw away his caution, diving for it and lashing out with his blades. The first blade glanced off chains with a sickening screech of metal, but the second sank deep into the devil's eye socket, piercing through to its brain.  


Ja'far let out a silent sigh of relief as it dropped to the ground. _Wait...couldn't I have snuck past it? Did I need to kill it for something...? I could have sworn I had a plan._  


_Ugh, my head's spinning- I really ought to stop for a while._  


_But I have to get back...Sin needs me, and I have to make sure Masrur and Yamraiha are safe... And Aladdin needs to be warned that his grandfather's back, poor kid._  


_There's too much I need to do in my world. I can't be stuck here._  


Shaking his head, trying to clear away some of the dizziness, Ja'far kept moving. Not far from the mountain, he thought he saw a huge shadow- maybe another mountain? It was hard to tell with all the fog. _I'll get a better look when I'm closer, I suppose._  


The pools seemed to be thinning out; Ja'far was relieved. _Must have been a prison of some kind. There ought to be less devils outside of there, right? Or maybe it'll just be easier to get around?_  


There was a voice, growling and indistinct. Ja'far froze. _I should go around...I don't need to waste my energy fighting or sneaking past anyone. Right?_  


Only problem was, the ground looked the most stable going towards the voice. Ja'far sighed silently, and began dragging himself forward again.  


Through the mist, he could see a guard roughing up a prisoner. Ja'far gritted his teeth; _I shouldn't interfere, I don't know if I can even rescue myself, let alone anyone else..._  


“We don't get guests from the Material Plane often,” the guard was saying. “We're going to have some fun with you!”  


_No, you aren't._ Ja'far threw a knife, wrapping the wire around the devil's throat and yanking back with all his strength. The devil fell back with a choked cry, and Ja'far stabbed him in the throat. He knelt beside the dead devil, panting quietly. _...I really can't help myself, can I? Goddammit._  


“The fuck?” The prisoner was, understandably, confused. And her voice sounded familiar.  


Ja'far looked up. “...Oh, goddammit,” he said. He twisted his ring, becoming visible. “You?”  


Falan stared at him. “This was where he sent you, too?”  


“I thought he threw you into a wall,” Ja'far said blankly. “And broke the wall.”  


“Yeah, and cracked a few of my ribs while he was at it,” Falan said dryly. “After he threw you into that portal, it looked like he was having a lot of trouble holding Sinbad back. I teleported us out over the ocean, he got annoyed and dumped me here.”  


“Why the ocean?” Ja'far asked. Somehow, that was important.  


“Because no one I care about lives in the ocean.” She struggled with her chains for a moment, then sighed. “So, what's your plan?”  


Ja'far raised an eyebrow at her. “To get out of here.”  


“Uh huh. How? You can't use magic, right?”  


“I'll figure something out.”  


Falan grimaced. “Good luck with that. Tell you what- get these damn chains off me, and I'll see if I can help you.”  


“And I should trust you...why, exactly?” Ja'far asked.  


“Because we're both very, very desperate.” Falan leaned back slightly. “You betrayed your Guild for Sinbad, I doubt you're going to stand for someone taking him over. Right? And I have to make sure Judar's alright. I've lost too many people already, no way he's going on that list.”  


Ja'far frowned. “You've nearly killed me before.”  


“Yes, I did. Look, kid, you can take your revenge if you want, but we both know it's not the right move,” Falan said, calmly but urgently. “Unlike most of the devils living here, I don't want your soul or mute servitude or anything in exchange for trying to help you. I just want to get out of here.”  


Much as he hated to admit it, she sounded sincere. _She was willing to betray Arba to rescue Judar, so it does make sense,_ he thought. “...You'll just leave once I free you.”  


“I can't. That bastard Dimension Anchored me, I need to try and dispel that first.”  


“...What?”  


Falan sighed. “Free me. I'll see if I can get you to stop bleeding everywhere, maybe you'll be a little smarter then.”  


That was a little too sensible to argue with. Ja'far held a hand out. “Fine. Let her go.”  


“Huh?” The chains loosened, and Falan pulled herself free, looking at the chains with a puzzled expression. “...Wait, you _can_ use magic?”  


“Just stuff like that.”  


Falan stood up stiffly, grimacing in pain. “Weird. I thought your Guild didn't...never mind, I'll ask later.” She waded out of the pool. Her hands glowed faintly, and she passed her hands over her body. Ja'far blinked; her clothes looked...dry, all of a sudden. “Whew...that's better,” she said, sighing with relief.  


“Alright, now what?”  


“Now I see how my magic works on this plane. Something as simple as that isn't a good gauge.”  


“Hell.”  


“You sure it's Hell? It could be the Abyss, I've never been good at telling demons and devils apart.”  


“No, it's definitely Hell.”  


Falan shrugged. “If you say so, kid. Stand still a sec.”  


Ja'far frowned at her, but complied. “I'm not a kid, you know.”  


“Bullshit,” Falan said, holding her hands over his leg. “You can't be more than, like, sixteen, seventeen at best.”  


“Eighteen. I think.” That tingled.  


Falan shook her head. “Still a kid.” She sighed, frustrated. “...Damn, this plane's energy is messed up. I'll do what I can for you, but I won't be able to heal you fully.”  


“Fine.” _I was getting spoiled anyway._  


After a few minutes' effort, Falan stepped back. “How do those feel? I cleaned 'em out and healed what I could.”  


Ja'far shrugged. “It's enough.” He felt better; less dizzy, and he could put more weight on his leg. “What about your wounds?”  


Falan looked down at herself. Her arms were torn up, and there was a bloody gash from between her breasts almost to her stomach. “They look worse than they are. I'll work on 'em as we go, but first I should bandage 'em up, since I won't be able to heal 'em completely.”  


Nodding wordlessly, Ja'far went to the guard he'd killed. Much as he'd done for himself, he took the almost-clean outer tunic and started tearing it up for bandages. “Here, use this.”  


“Thanks.” Falan took the strips. She studied Ja'far for a moment, shrugged, and pulled her shirt off to bandage her chest wound. “Don't get any ideas. I can probably still electrocute you if I need to.”  


“Ideas...?” Ja'far asked blankly, scanning the area for enemies.  


She snorted with laughter. “Never mind, kiddo.” She wrapped up her chest wound, then put her shirt back on. “That's better. Help me with my arms, would you?”  


“Fine.” Ja'far began bandaging the worst of her injuries. “Are you sure you should trust me this much?”  


“I don't trust you. But I know you're too desperate to get out of here to attack me yet.”  


“Fair enough.” When he finished, he stepped back to frown at Falan. “Now what?”  


“First off, gotta see if you have the same problem I do.” Falan held up a faintly glowing hand, studying him intently. “...Yeah, that's a Dimensional Anchor. Fucker really didn't want us coming back.”  


“Dimensional Anchor is what it sounds like, I assume?” Ja'far asked. “Something to keep us on one plane?”  


“Exactly.” Falan took a deep breath. “...Okay. Let's...get away from here. I want to be able to sit down and concentrate on getting these locks off us. If I even _can,_ that bastard's fucking powerful.”  


Ja'far nodded. “I was heading for that mountain. If nothing else, it shouldn't be covered in swamp.”  


“Good plan. Besides, if this is really Hell, going up is, like, the smart way to go.”  


“Oh?”  


“It's comprised of several layers. The top one's probably the easiest way out.”  


“Makes sense, I suppose.”  


They started walking towards the mountain. Ja'far wasn't sure if he'd made the right choice or not, but...well. _If she can get me back to the others, then I don't give a damn who I have to team up with._


	34. Chapter thirty-four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter's late, I've been really tired... (also, sorry if this chapter isn't as good. writer's block is a thing.)

“I wish I could tell how far away that damn mountain is,” Falan complained.  


Ja'far nodded, forgetting he was invisible. “It must be bigger than I thought. We've been walking a long time.”  


“Or there's illusions involved.”  


“It's been getting bigger, so I think we really are getting closer.”  


“I seriously hope you're right.” Falan sighed. “Hey, do you really have to be invisible?”  


“Yes. Even if you're seen, I can still surprise any enemies.”  


Falan snorted. “And I can't, like, stab you in the back.”  


“That too.”  


“Guess I can't blame you.”  


They had been walking for hours. Ja'far was sure it had been hours, but without the sun to mark the passage of time, he had no idea how many. Some panicked voice deep inside him said it had been days, weeks- but that couldn't be true; he would have died of starvation if it had been that long. Regardless, the walk was painful. His left leg marked each step with a flash of pain, and wearing shoes for past several months had apparently made his feet go soft, so of course _they_ hurt, too. Honestly, it was a relief to have to slow down so Falan could keep up with him.  


Which, given his desperation to get back to the Material Plane, said a lot about how much pain he was in- even after Falan had partially healed him.  


That was about half of the reason he was invisible; he didn't want Falan to be any more aware of his weakness than she absolutely had to be.  


_Not that she's much better off,_ he reflected. _She's hiding it well, but she's still injured herself, and I know she's used a lot of powerful magic without time to rest after- and she was chained up in one of those pools, same as me._  


_She really does need all the protection she can get until she can get that 'Dimensional Anchor' off herself._  


_Problem is, once she does...how do I keep her from leaving me here? Wrap her in wires and keep her trapped? Will that keep her from teleporting, though?_  


Falan clambered up onto a tall boulder. “This looks like a good enough place for now. Come on up, I'm going to try and get the anchors off us.”  


“Right.” Ja'far climbed up and sat next to her, keeping a sharp lookout for enemies.  


“Could you maybe, like, be visible for this? Unless you don't _want_ the anchor off.”  


Ja'far twisted the ring. “Fine.”  


“Better.” Falan began to whisper magic, and her hands glowed an eerie shade of green. The glow spread to light them both faintly. Ja'far tried to keep an eye on Falan while also keeping an eye on their surroundings; he didn't want any unpleasant surprises.  


Falan's brow furrowed- in concentration initially, but it was clear that she was growing more and more frustrated by the minute. Finally, after several minutes' effort, she sat back with a growled curse. “I can't get it off either of us,” she said- unnecessarily, given her frustration.  


“He really doesn't want us coming back.”  


“Nope.” Falan rubbed her temples. “Dammit, dammit, _dammit!”_  


_My feelings exactly..._ Ja'far sighed, closing shaking hands into fists. “Well. We'll just keep working our way up, and you'll keep trying to dispel the anchors,” he said. “Food's going to be a problem, though. And water, I'm not sure even _I_ would be able to drink the swamp water without getting sick.”  


Falan huffed out an unamused laugh. “You're taking this calmly.”  


“I'm not calm, I'm just trying to stay focused.”  


“Uh huh. Anyway, I can create drinkable water for us, so that's something less to worry about. You're right about food, though.”  


“You can create water?”  


“Yeah. It's a simple spell- I'll be fine casting it, even here. And it's, like, always clean water, so that helps.”  


“That's a relief.” Ja'far stood, hiding the stab of pain in his leg. “Anyway, let's get moving. That mountain won't climb itself.”  


Falan got up slowly, wincing. “Yeah.”  


They continued walking for a long time, Ja'far remaining invisible. He periodically went to scout ahead or off to the sides, making sure there was no one near enough to notice them (he dispatched a couple devils, but didn't bother mentioning this to Falan). On one of his scouting detours, he found a large snake- much larger than most he'd seen before, and with exceptionally tough scales.  


He brought it back with him, relieved of its head. “I found something to eat.”  


“What, really? How?”  


“Snake. It lived here.”  


“Huh. You know, I guess it makes sense that there's some kind of local wildlife. Just glad there weren't leeches in those pools. Though the water felt a little acidic, so they probably wouldn't do well in it.”  


Ja'far nodded, forgetting she couldn't see him.  


His apparent lack of response brought the conversation to a halt for a while. The ground was starting to get a little rockier; that was a relief. These rocks didn't sink when stepped on as much as the other ground tended to.  


“So why _did_ you change your mind about killing Sinbad, anyway?” Falan asked.  


“Why?” Ja'far asked warily.  


Falan shrugged. “I'm curious.”  


“It's complicated.” Ja'far paused. “...Were you planning to kill me, after I brought back what you wanted?”  


“Nope. My plan was to buy your loyalty- you were one of the best in the Guild, after all. So I was going to keep giving you jobs, pay you extra, and earn your trust. See, Arba has- had?- her claws in the Guild, and Wahid and I had stopped trusting her for the most part after we'd been in Kou a few years and saw what she was turning into. I was hoping you could snoop around the Guild for me, see if I could learn anything new that way.”  


“You stopped trusting her, but you still followed her.”  


“Yeah.” Falan smiled sadly. “She used to be a great person- guess you'd never know it, now. All of us looked up to her, before everything went to...well, Hell.”  


_Aladdin said something like that, too..._ “Is that why you betrayed Solomon and the others? To follow her lead?”  


“You know about all that, huh?”  


“Yeah.”  


“It would be easy to say Arba manipulated us,” Falan said tiredly. “That she used our grief, our confusion, our feelings of betrayal. But no, we chose to do this.” Her hands clenched into fists. “We all chose this, and _I_ have to live with that.”  


“Do you regret any of it?”  


“Currently, I regret being stuck in Hell. The rest I can think about when I've gotten us out and made sure my kid's safe. And...I really _do_ need to think about it.”  


Ja'far smiled reluctantly. _'Us', huh?_ “That's fair.”  


“I can be, sometimes.”  


Rocky ground eventually led them to the foot of the mountain. Falan found a dry place, sheltered from view, and sat down. “Alright, much as I want to get us all the way up in a day, my legs say otherwise,” she said. She held a hand over a rock, and quietly set it on fire. “You had some food, you said?”  


Ja'far became visible again. “Yeah. Here, I put it on a stick. I killed it, you cook it.”  


Falan took the snake and held it over the fire. “You got it, kiddo.”  


“Stop calling me a kid.” Ja'far sat down, hiding a wince when he had to bend his injured leg.  


“Why? My first kid would've been older than you.”  


Ja'far raised an eyebrow. “There's no way you're old enough to have a child my age.”  


“Aww, flattery!” Falan laughed. “That's magic, though- I stopped myself from aging a while back. Arba did it long ago, she's ancient. I did it 'cause, like, I'm ridiculously vain, she did it because she didn't want to get arthritis or whatever.”  


“Oh.” Ja'far stretched his injured leg out carefully. “So...Judar's your second child? I thought he was your apprentice.”  


“His parents were under my command and died on a mission,” Falan explained. “He was two, didn't have any relatives. And it was my fault his family died, so Wahid and I took him in. But, like, we didn't want him to replace Tess, so we mostly called him my apprentice.” She smiled. “So he's both, I guess.”  


“Makes sense.”  


They ate the snake. Falan created water for them- though there was nothing to hold it in, so they just used their hands. “I would kill a man for some salt,” Falan complained. 

“Or a flask or something to store water in.”  


“Well, that's not the stupidest reason to kill someone, I suppose.”  


“Yeah, yeah.” She sighed. “What do you think? Tackle the mountain now, or rest a little longer? I can keep going, I think.”  


“Resting will restore your magic, right?” Yamraiha had said something like that, if he was remembering right.  


Falan nodded. “Sleeping will, yeah. Tell you what, I'll nap a couple hours, then try and get the anchors off again. You can keep watch.”  


“Right.” Ja'far shrugged off the coat he'd stolen from his captor earlier, tossing it to Falan. “Here.”  


Catching it automatically, Falan raised an eyebrow at him. “That's suspiciously nice of you.”  


“I took it because I was freezing. Now I'm not.”  


Falan wrapped herself in the coat, settling against the rocks. “So reasonable. Wake me up in a couple hours. Or... whatever feels like a couple hours.”  


“Got it.”  


There wasn't much he could do while he waited; with Falan asleep, he didn't feel confident getting out of sight of her. _This is insanity,_ he thought, frowning up at the mountain. _With that fog, I can't even tell how far up it goes. And Falan said Hell's made of layers- what layer are we on, and how many are we going to have to climb through to get out?_  


_Or...even if we get to the top, will we be able to get out that way?_  


Plagued by those doubts, Ja'far prowled restlessly for as long as he could stand. Finally, he couldn't wait anymore, and gently shook Falan awake. “Time to move.”  


“Ugh. Feels like I just closed my eyes,” Falan muttered. She stood up, stretching. “I do feel a little better, though. Alright, I'll try to get the anchors off one more time. Maybe we won't have to climb the damn mountain.”  


“That would be good.”  


They settled down so Falan could work. Once again, it was clear that Falan was having trouble. “Damn him,” she muttered. “Even when he's dead and possessing someone, he's able to cast spells this well?”  


“Still can't budge it?”  


“No. Sorry.”  


Ja'far activated his invisibility ring and stood. “...Alright. Let's move. Do you have any idea how many layers there are to Hell?”  


“Nine, supposedly. I don't know which one this is, though.”  


“It had better not be the ninth.”  


“No kidding...” Falan stood. “Hey, could you stay visible while we climb? I want to see where to put my feet.”  


Ja'far became visible again. “Fine.”  


They began to climb. At first, it was easy, but after what was probably a couple hours, the ascent abruptly grew steep. “Would we stand out too much if we flew up?” Falan asked. “I mean, we haven't seen any devils around, right?”  


“I have when I was scouting,” Ja'far replied. “Honestly, I don't think it's safe to fly. Unless you turn yourself invisible.”  


Falan sighed. “You should've mentioned that you saw enemies.”  


“I took care of it.”  


“Great. Still should've mentioned it.”  


“So can you turn invisible or not?” Ja'far asked impatiently.  


“Well, let's find out.” Falan held up her hands, and disappeared in a shimmer like a heat haze. “Guess so. Feels different from usual, though.”  


“Who cares if it feels different, so long as it works? Let's fly.”  


“Alright. Hold your hand out, we don't want to get separated.”  


Ja'far reactivated his ring, then held his hand out. Falan's hand found his, and Ja'far felt a current of magic pass between them. His body felt lighter- and then, amazingly, his feet left the ground. For a moment, a wave of panic passed through him; it felt like he'd slipped, like he'd lost his footing. It was ten times worse, because he couldn't see what Falan was doing.  


But they were going up, and not falling.  


Ja'far let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Falan chuckled. “I won't drop you. I can't stay invisible forever, after all, so I'll still need your help.”  


“If you could, would you drop me?” Ja'far asked warily.  


“There's still benefits to having a team. Even if it's just me and a grumpy assassin.”  


They flew upwards for a long time, keeping close to the side of the mountain. After a few hours, Ja'far spotted a road, carved into the cliffs. “Does that go to the next layer?”  


“What else could be up here?” Falan asked. She guided them a little closer to it. “We'll follow this for now.”  


“Alright. Let's keep an eye out, though- roads mean people.”  


“True.”  


The road wound around the mountain like a loose coil of rope. As they followed the road in its slow circling of the mountains, a shadow loomed before them. They halted, staring.  


“That's...a city,” Ja'far whispered. “Floating. Please tell me you're seeing this, too.”  


“Yeah. It's _huge,”_ Falan replied, voice hushed.  


_I thought I saw a shadow near the mountain,_ Ja'far thought. _But this is insane!_  


The city looked like a corroded tangle of metal and stone, with towers and spires rising impossibly high from it. Well, in a swampy, foggy place like this, of course the metal would be rusted. The walls were jagged and covered in chains, and more chains hung thickly from the many towers.  


“Okay, like, fascinating as this is, let's get away from here.” Falan sounded nervous; Ja'far couldn't blame her, though somehow, he didn't share the feeling.  


“...The City of Chains.” Ja'far frowned; he wasn't sure where that had come from.  


“Yes, it's a city with a lot of chains, good job.”  


“That's the home of the kytons. Of chain devils,” Ja'far said. He shuddered. _Of my ancestors._  


“How do you know that?”  


Ja'far shook his head. “It feels like it's calling to me.”  


“That city doesn't need you,” Falan snapped. “But someone much more important does.”  


_Sin._ Ja'far shuddered. “...You're right. Let's get out of here.”  


They kept going up, hurrying to put some distance between themselves and the City of Chains. Ja'far realized, after a few minutes, that he was shaking. “What was that?” Falan asked. “Did something sense us, did they attack you somehow?”  


“...No,” Ja'far replied, barely audible. “We're...probably still hidden.”  


“Are you sure?”  


“I don't know. But that wasn't an attack.” Ja'far hated that Falan could feel that he was trembling. “That was...I think it was just instinct.”  


“Talk to me. I need to know what's going on.”  


“It's fine. We're away from there, we're fine.”  


“Convince me you aren't a liability,” Falan snapped.  


Ja'far closed his eyes for a moment. “...Blood calls to blood, I guess. I'm part chain devil.”  


“...Seriously?”  


“Yeah.”  


Falan laughed. “David said he was putting you 'where you belonged'- guess that's what he meant. And that's why you could make my chains let go.”  


“Exactly.”  


“Well...alright.” Ja'far could feel Falan shrug. “Alright. That's pretty weird, but at this point, it really doesn't matter, does it?”  


Ja'far smiled reluctantly. “It doesn't matter.”  


As they went higher and higher, they realized that the 'sky' wasn't a sky at all; it was actually a natural ceiling of sorts, as if they had been in a vast cave. Maybe they were. And the ceiling above the mountain had a hole in it, which glowed red.  


“That must be the next layer,” Falan said. “We're getting close! Which is good, I'm running out of energy for flying...”  


“Just don't drop us,” Ja'far said.  


Falan managed to get them up through the hole, and set them both down lightly on the ground, becoming visible. She shrieked, hastily holding up her hands to cast a spell. “Gods above, that's _hot!”_ she said.  


Ja'far staggered, falling to his knees in the superheated iron sand. “...It really is.” It hurt, but it didn't burn him too badly. _My legs...why can't I move?_  


“Give me your hand, I'll try and give you a bit of a buffer.”  


“I'm fine.”  


“You're stupid.”  


“Yeah, kind of.” Ja'far forced himself to stand- his vision blacked out for a moment, but he ignored that. “Don't worry, it doesn't bother me that much. Save your energy.”  


Falan sighed. “If you say so. Come on, let's find a way up from here.”


	35. Chapter thirty-five

The burning, black iron sands, the furnace-hot winds, and the iron spires that jutted out at random from the ground- all of it burned. Ja'far was trying his best to ignore it, but the longer they walked, the harder it was. In the distance rose iron walls- but thanks to the heat (or some inherent illusion), it was impossible to tell how close or far away they truly were.  


“I've read about that place,” Falan said quietly. “It's the Iron City of Dis- we have to be careful not to end up in there by mistake.”  


“...It's a huge city, how would that happen?”  


“This place tricks the mind.” Falan sighed. “But this is actually kind of good.”  


Ja'far gave her a blank look. _“...How?”_  


“This means we're on the second layer. I was seriously scared we were down near the bottom, to be honest.”  


“We're almost at the top?”  


“Yup.” Falan smiled. “Kind of a relief, huh?”  


Ja'far nodded. “Yeah.”  


“...Too bad an open plain doesn't have anywhere to rest, though. Guess we're walking until we make to the top layer.”  


“We'll probably find something. Do you know what the way up from here is?”  


“No. Just keep an eye out for tall structures and holes in the sky.”  


“Right.”

\-----  


_Ja'far took advantage of the distraction Sin was causing. He snuck up to the wizards on the ground, his movements silent as a cat's. The first warning they had of his presence was when two of them fell to the ground, throats slashed open.  
_

_No fewer than a dozen spells whizzed around him; only three hit. They didn't hurt, but Ja'far found he was visible again. Fire and ice and lightning gathered in the hands of the remaining wizards. He leapt in, grabbing one of the wizards and using him to absorb the spells that were being flung at him.  
_

_“So he was here after all...” Wahid threw shining red dust into the air, and a cage of energy appeared around Ja'far- and several of the wizards unlucky enough to be near him. “Let's see you get out of_ that.”  


_“Ja'far! Stay focused!”_  


That voice hadn't been there- it was enough to jolt Ja'far out of his memories. Just in time, too; he ducked out of the way of a blast of fire. Ja'far stabbed his attacker, then turned to help Falan.  


She had just shot a spear of ice straight through the chest of a strange, skeletal figure. It shattered, bone fragments falling to the ground. Ja'far wrapped his wires around the throat of another, electrocuting it until it went limp.  


A look around told him that there were no more enemies. He sighed deeply, letting his wires wrap around his arms again. Falan scowled at him. “We should rest. You're limping, and you're spacing out in the middle of a fight.”  


“I'm fine,” Ja'far snapped. “It won't happen again.”  


“That wasn't a _request,_ Ja'far. As soon as we find somewhere even remotely sheltered, we're stopping for a couple hours.”  


“Who put you in charge?”  


“Me. I'm not tired to the point of hallucinating yet,” Falan replied.  


Ja'far shook his head. “I'm not hallucinating.” _That ...may be a lie? Well, it's definitely bad that I can't tell anymore.  
_

“Uh huh. You haven't slept since we were dropped in here- I've gotten to rest twice. If you aren't hallucinating, it's an actual miracle.” She started walking; Ja'far followed, trying to disguise his limp.  


“Well, you're a wizard. It makes sense to let you regain magic, and someone needs to keep watch.”  


“You're not wrong, but you're still being an idiot. Also, I can _tell_ you're limping. When we stop, I'll take a look at your leg. Dare I ask how the other wound's doing?”  


“Fine.”  


“Are you lying?”  


“Not really. It aches a little, but unless I touch it I can ignore it.”  


“Alright.” Falan sighed. “...I have a bad feeling that the way up is through the city. It's the only thing tall enough around here.”  


Ja'far frowned. “So we'll have to risk it. How long would we be able to stay invisible in there, do you think?”  


“I don't think we would be able to at all, actually. Like, have you heard _any_ stories about the cunning of devils? Besides, I heard there's evil gods that live in the city, too. They'd tear our invisibility off in a heartbeat.” Falan pushed sweat-soaked hair out of her face. “...Let's find somewhere to rest first. Then we can decide.”  


“If it's the only way, we might as well just do it,” Ja'far replied. “We need to get back, who knows how long we've been gone already?”  


“I know that! But dammit, Ja'far, if you go in there like you are now, you'll be dead in seconds! I don't want to try navigating this alone, alright?” Falan snapped.  


Ja'far paused, blinking at her dumbly. “...Oh.”

\-----  


They found a crack in the earth, and squeezed into it. Falan sighed quietly. “Well, this should work for a couple hours, anyway. Let me see your leg, alright?”  


Ja'far stretched out his injured leg as best he could- the space was cramped, and it didn't really want to bend anymore. “Here.”  


Falan began undoing the makeshift bandages. “Well, this doesn't smell like infection, so I'm going to call that a good start,” she said dryly.  


“Mmhm.” Ja'far closed his eyes. “...Masrur said something about Ithnan dumping him off on you when he got hurt. I don't know why I remembered that just now...”  


“So Masrur _did_ join up with you after Ithnan...” Falan trailed off. “Yeah, Ithnan's never been much of a healer. And that was before he got involved with dark magic and started really losing himself- before, he'd never have considered _buying_ someone.” She laughed bitterly. “And Arba, Wahid and I...we never would have _let_ him.”  


“What changed?” Ja'far asked. “I know you hate Solomon- even if I don't understand- but I don't see how the four of you went from revolutionaries to...this.”  


Soothing magic flowed into his wound. Falan sighed. “Not just the four of us. There were- and still are- more of us. Most of our original members are gone, though, and I guess I'm the highest-ranking member still left.”  


_Deflecting the question? Or maybe she doesn't know._ Ja'far frowned, watching Falan as she worked. “Are you going to keep fighting him, when we get back?”  


“When we get back, I'm going to find Judar and get him somewhere safe. And David can't run around in your man's body forever, either- I'm not going to let Tess and Setta's murderer do what he wants, that's for damn sure. As for Solomon, I'll figure that out later.”  


“I won't let you destroy Sin's body, regardless of who's in it,” Ja'far said. “Though I agree that David needs to go back to being dead.”  


Falan shrugged. “Dunno if I could kill him. But I might be able to stop him, use some kind of enchantment to tie him down. Sinbad probably wouldn't want David hurting anyone in his body anyway, right?”  


_Knowing him, he'd rather be hurt himself than let that happen._ “That may help us subdue David, though- Sin will be fighting from the inside.”  


“David's ancient, and more powerful than you know. I wouldn't bet that Sinbad's going to be able to fight him for long.” The glow of magic faded, and Falan wrapped Ja'far's injury again.  


Ja'far shook his head. “Sin won't give up.”  


“That won't matter if we don't get back. Get some rest, Ja'far.”  


She was right about that, at least. Ja'far sighed, making himself as comfortable as he could in the cramped space. “Alright. Wake me in a little while.”  


“I will.” Falan stuck an ice crystal to the wall of their shelter; it hissed oddly, but moments later the air cooled somewhat, slowly becoming more bearable. Ja'far closed his eyes, finally giving in to his overwhelming exhaustion.  


\-----  


_“Keep him under observation for a few days. If his body rejects the magic, you'll want to know sooner than later.”  
_

_“Understood, ma'am.”  
_

What does that mean? _Ja'far wondered, mind hazy with pain. He sat up as the restraints were undone, forcing himself to unclench his hands- his palms were bleeding where his nails had cut into them. His legs hurt too much to move, which was saying a lot.  
_

_The brunette studied him with interest. “Then again, out of all of our subjects, this one's the most likely to be a match for the enchantment. I wonder if artificial tieflings would work as well.”  
_

Artificial? _No, that wasn't really important. Ja'far wanted her to stop looking at him. He wanted her gone- or, even better, to be gone himself. She hadn't stopped smiling the entire time, even as she carved weird letters into the bones of his legs.  
_

_She giggled and ruffled his hair. “The Guild certainly trained you well, didn't they? I didn't hear a word out of you the entire time. Well, now your medic will bring you somewhere to rest for a few days.”  
_

Don't touch me, _Ja'far thought.  
_

_“I'll be back for a report in a week,” she said, and simply vanished.  
_

_The medic picked Ja'far up, and the movement brought on a rush of pain so intense that Ja'far blacked out.  
_

Someone was touching his shoulder. Ja'far had a knife in hand and was sitting up before he registered the startled curse as Falan's. She sighed with relief, relaxing as he lowered his arm. “Damn, kid, you're twitchy.”  


“Do you blame me?” Ja'far asked rhetorically. He rubbed his face with one hand. “Ready to move again?”  


“Yeah. First, though, we need to figure out if we're going into the city or not.”  


Ja'far blinked. “Weren't we avoiding that?”  


“Right, but like I mentioned earlier, we might have to cut through there to get up to the next level,” Falan replied.  


_When did she mention that...? Never mind, not important._ “How? Invisible, or...?”  


“That may actually attract _more_ attention.” Falan frowned. “...You said you're part kyton. Got any devil features you can play up? I mean, your eyes look kinda snaky, so that's a start. How about a tail, have one of those?”  


_What do you mean, snaky? Well, I guess that's not important right now..._ Ja'far took off his headband. “Horns work?”  


“Aww, they're tiny!” Falan laughed. “Okay. Those help- I'll make 'em look a little darker so they stand out from your hair more.” She held a glowing hand to Ja'far's head, ignoring his ill-controlled flinch. “Maybe my aura of jackass will be enough to keep me under the radar. Or we could pretend I'm your servant.”  


“What about the dots on your forehead?” Ja'far asked. “Is that an evil cult mark, or what?”  


“Yeah, basically. We had a different mark when- never mind, irrelevant. Our, um, cult probably isn't known on other planes, though- our Father was tied to the Material Plane.”  


“Are there any evil gods who wouldn't strike you down on the spot if you borrowed their symbol to pass less conspicuously through the Iron City?” Ja'far asked.  


Falan looked thoughtful for a moment. “...Maybe.” She held a glowing hand over her chest, and the image of a spider appeared on the front of her shirt.  


“Isn't that the Partevian royal family's symbol?” Ja'far asked.  


“Yup. But the royal family used to worship the Spider Queen, Lolth, who's _definitely_ evil,” Falan explained. “That symbol's a holdover from back then. And Lolth is better known here than the Partevian Empire, so most people ought to assume I follow her.”  


“But you're using their symbol, not hers, so she won't notice. Smart. Alright, let's get moving.”  


It was actually harder to get out of the crevice they'd hidden in than it had been to get into it in the first place. Ja'far gritted his teeth, muttering words he hadn't used in months as he forced his leg to bend. Resting seemed to have made it stiffer. Of course. Once he was out, he walked in a few short circles, waiting for Falan to extricate herself.  


Once he'd worked the stiffness out of it, though, it hurt less than before. That was a relief.  


Falan ran a hand over herself, and the worst of the dirt and grime cleared itself off her. Ja'far raised an eyebrow at her. She grinned. “Yes, I'm vain, but that was also part of the 'not standing out' thing. Besides, my hair was bugging me. I should do it to you, too, actually.”  


“It's your energy, I guess.” Ja'far let her clean him up- and, much as he hated to admit it, he felt better for being less grimy. _I really have gotten spoiled, traveling with Sin and the others...  
_

“Don't worry, it takes only a little,” Falan replied. “Less energy than it takes to wash your face the mundane way, really.”  


_Come to think of it, that probably explains how Yamraiha kept her hair so neat on the carpet ride to Rakushou,_ Ja'far thought. “Alright. No more delays, let's get through the Iron City and get home.”  


“Right.”

\-----  


The Iron City was easy to enter; as if the city itself wanted to swallow up everything on the plane. Ja'far realized, as they exchanged burning, black sand for the equally hot paved streets, how carefully Falan must have been guiding them to avoid the city for as long as they had.  


As they emerged from some sort of alleyway, they found themselves in a marketplace of some kind. Beings of all descriptions were buying and selling- and in some cases, being bought and sold themselves. Ja'far forced himself to appear relaxed, forced himself not to react. _I can't save them- I know that, but leaving them still feels-  
_

Something big and black and full of teeth grinned at him. “In the market for poisons, young master? I have all the best,” it said, voice echoing and grating all once.  


Ja'far smiled politely. “Not at the moment, though I might return later.”  


“Ah, business elsewhere. A shame, that.”  


They moved along, threading their way carefully through the crowds. “Let me know if you see anything promising,” Ja'far murmured.  


“Yeah. There's a stall selling 'liquid pain', I wonder if that's some kind of alcohol?”  


Ja'far glanced over in the direction she indicated. “Given where we are, I'm assuming it's literal.”  


“Yikes, you're right. Distilled agony, procured from a variety of subjects. Very useful for certain spells. Gross. Oh, and they're willing to pay people to supply it, amazing.”  


“You can read that sign?”  


“It's in Undercommon,” Falan explained. “I can read it pretty well; you need it if you study any magic in Partevia.”  


“Huh.”  


They continued searching the city for a long time- Ja'far wished there was a method of telling time. Maybe the top layer had a sun. It was only stubbornness and self-preservation that was keeping the two of them looking alert, calm, and normal, he knew; he was exhausted, despite his short rest, and neither of them had eaten since the previous layer.  


“There's nothing,” Falan muttered. “I can't see a way up.”  


“Someone has to know,” Ja'far replied softly. “But they'd want us to pay for the information, and I can't imagine either of us wants to sell our souls.” _And we're not going to try selling each other- neither of us is stupid enough to try screwing the other that way.  
_

Falan nodded tiredly. “We just have to keep looking.”  


“No.” Ja'far could practically hear Sin and Rurumu yelling at him for the idea he'd just had. “We've got another option.”  


“Your tone says 'this is a bad idea and I know it',” Falan commented. “Tell me.”  


“Let's head back this way,” Ja'far said.  


“Ja'far, if you try and sell me to someone-”  


“I'm not stupid.” Ja'far half-smiled. “But I do have something to trade.”  


As they approached the stand that sold 'liquid pain', Falan hesitated. “Whoa, wait a second. Are you serious?!” she whispered. “Ja'far, we don't know how they extract that-”  


“Keep your voice down.” Ja'far looked over at her, smiling slightly. “Don't worry, I'll do it. I know I can deal with pain. And then we'll be a step closer to leaving- to saving them.”  


Falan sighed. “Fuck, this is a dumb idea. It's your funeral, kid.”  


“Gods, I hope not.” Ja'far approched the counter, where an obsidian-skinned elf woman was minding the stall. “Excuse me. I couldn't help noticing the sign on your stall; I believe I have something you would be interested in.”


	36. Chapter thirty-six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is torture in this chapter. it's mostly offscreen, but not entirely.

Ja'far knew he was making a potentially lethal choice. But they couldn't afford to wander through the enormous, menacing city of Dis for much longer, either. _I'm the only one who can do this, and it needs to be done.  
_

“My, my,” the dark elf said, smiling. “You're actually volunteering to provide me with the raw agony I need?”  


“For a price, of course,” Ja'far replied. “You see, my associate and I have business on the first layer, and our transportation plans fell through. So now...”  


Her violet eyes lit with understanding. “Oh, I understand. Well, tell you what- for seven doses' worth of pain, I can transport the two of you through the gates of Dis, right to the road to Avernus, no questions asked.”  


“Seven would take far too long. Three would be reasonable, we aren't far from the gate anyway.”  


“But getting you through the gate will be a little complicated, you know? Six, take it or leave it.”  


“Five.”  


“Done.” She smiled. “Five hours from now, I will safely transport the two of you through the gates of Dis to the road to Avernus. In the meantime, you will provide me with the raw materials I need to synthesize my wares.”  


Ja'far and the drow woman shook hands. “Both of you, follow me,” she said, smiling. She gestured to a younger drow- probably an apprentice. “Ynrae, watch the shop- I'll be busy until after close, I think.” To Ja'far, she said, “We have a place where we extract the pain from you; and your ally can wait close by, of course.”  


Falan gave her a playful smile. “What, not going to let me watch?”  


“Well, I couldn't let a fellow devotee of Lolth steal my secrets, could I?” replied the drow, laughing. “I'm sure you have your own methods.”  


“Fair enough,” Falan said, shrugging.  


_I hope that was her playing the part, and not her wanting to watch whatever this entails,_ Ja'far thought uneasily.  


They were led to a building that looked like a shopfront. The dark elf put on a heavy glove and pulled the door open. “Business is great, so I shouldn't complain, but it really _is_ too hot here,” she complained. “I ought to try opening a branch in the City of Chains, I hear that layer's a lot nicer.”  


“It's cooler,” Ja'far agreed. “Still not particularly hospitable, though.”  


“Nowhere in Hell is,” the dark elf replied, ushering them inside. Much of the interior was insulated with thick rugs, and the place felt cooler than outside- Ja'far suspected that magic was involved. “No offense intended, of course.”  


“None taken,” Ja'far said. “Now, this method you spoke of...”  


She nodded briskly. “Yes, of course. Leave any weapons with your ally, please- I don't want to get attacked if you realize you can't handle this as well as you thought.”  


Ja'far hesitated; Falan covered that with a snort of laughter. “Sounds brutal,” she said, teasing. “Sure you're going to be able to move after?”  


“Don't worry, I treat my willing subjects with courtesy,” the woman explained. “I will do little permanent damage to your associate.”  


“Good, I didn't think he'd make a deal that would cripple him.”  


Ja'far handed Falan his weapons. “Hold on to these,” he said, ignoring the way his stomach dropped as his weapons left his hands.  


“Right.” Falan took the weapons, looking down at them with interest.  


“Make yourself comfortable,” the drow told her. “We will return in five hours, so please wait here.”  


“Sure.” Falan found a comfortable chair and sat down, green eyes wary as she watched the two of them enter a side room.  


The room was enough to make Ja'far want to start running. Even though it was clean, there was a smell to it, a faint scent of blood that couldn't be washed away. The room was made of cool grey stone, and runes that glowed with violet light lined the walls- in careful lines along each edge, and in circles and patterns in the center of the floor and ceiling. In the center of the rune-circle on the floor was a chair, of sorts; one Ja'far could see was designed to hold torture victims. And he recognized a lot of the tools in the room from his training.  


_I knew this was going to be rough from the beginning,_ he reminded himself uneasily.  


“Now, before we get started, I have a few questions for you,” the elf woman said briskly, going over to the table of torture implements and getting them ready. “First off, are you a masochist? It's fine if you are, I just have to label the end product accordingly.”  


Ja'far shook his head. “No, I'm not.”  


“Alright. Have you been used to synthesize this before?”  


“No.”  


“Mmhm. And lastly, has your body been used for any other dark magic rituals?”  


“I think so,” Ja'far said, uncertain. “Or at least, a ritualized spell was cast on me. They didn't tell me the details.”  


“Alright, let me check that,” she said, holding up a hand. Violet light glowed around her hand, and his legs glowed in response. The glow faded after a minute, and she smiled. “That's fine. Your pain counts as 'virginal' for purposes of this spell, aren't you lucky?”  


_Am I?_ Ja'far wondered.  


“Now, disrobe and get onto this chair, and we can get started,” she said. “Oh, that includes magic items, so please take your ring off, too.”  


Ja'far obediently took his clothes off, trying to appear calm. He folded them and put them on a chair she indicated, putting his invisibility ring on top. _Remember, you're doing this for him.  
_

_For all of them, but especially for him.  
_

He climbed carefully onto the chair, letting her strap him into it. “How does this work, exactly?” he asked.  


“Ritualized torture. Don't worry, I won't break any bones,” she promised. “It's a mixture of magic and mundane. First, though, I need to connect you to the receptacle so your pain liquifies properly.” She took a paintbrush and began drawing runes on his chest in a careful, precise circle. Each rune glowed the same violet as the rest of the room. “And there we are. Now, to test the connection...”  


She placed her hands on his shoulders, and sickeningly intense pain wracked his body. Ja'far set his jaw, trying his hardest not to scream. The drow looked over at something mounted to the wall and nodded. “Good, the connection's working perfectly. Now we can get started.” She eyed Ja'far, her lips curving into a deadly smile. “Looks like you're trained to put up with this- I'll have to pull out all the stops to get the best out of you.”  


_Falan-----  
_

Falan was relieved at the chance to sit down somewhere cool, if nothing else. But otherwise, she wasn't sure how to feel; whether to hate herself for allowing Ja'far to do this (not that she was sure she could have stopped him), or just be relieved that they were that much closer to the top layer, and hopefully a way out of Hell.  


_I hope I'm not actually worried about him,_ she thought. _Gods know I don't need to get attached to someone who will probably become an enemy later on.  
_

_Not that that's stopped me before, I guess. I let myself get attached to Hakuryuu and Kougyoku, even though what we were doing could easily have gotten them killed. Hell, Hakuryuu went after Arba- he probably would've tried to kill me, too, if I'd been there. And then there's Sheba and Ugo...I can't bring myself to hate them, even though they stuck with Solomon. After all, there's no way they'd have done anything else.  
_

She rubbed her face tiredly, trying to dispel the thought of them. All of them, really. It was pointless to think about them here, now. _I have to make sure Judar is safe. And then I'm going to send David back to whatever afterlife there is for monsters like him. After that, I can waste time worrying about other stuff.  
_

“I've got five fucking hours, I could totally get a nap in while I wait,” she muttered. “He's not screaming, it can't be that bad...right?”  


_Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Heartless bitch.  
_

She closed her eyes, feeling exhaustion creep up on her. _Be practical. Make the most of this chance,_ she told herself. _You'll need all the magic you can get to get us home, to get Judar out of Kou and somewhere safe.  
_

\-----  


_It was that nightmare again. Falan knew it, as soon as she could smell the burnt bodies. But this time was different; this time, it was the Kou royal palace in flames.  
_

_This time, she was alone, and the child she was searching for so frantically was Judar.  
_

“You did this to them.” _It was Solomon's voice, the voice of the child who had reached out a hand to her so many years ago._ “It's your responsibility, isn't it?”  


“This wasn't my fault! They made me do it!” _her child-self cried out.  
_

“Of course they made you do it. But you still thought it was right, didn't you?”  


“I didn't know-”  


“And now you do. So? Knowing that, what are you going to do?”  


“I don't know...”  


_Falan stopped, stared at the smear of blood and flesh and viscera and bright red hair on the ground before her. A broken sword and a bloodied hair ornament told her- even though she'd already guessed- that it was Kougyoku._ She's part dragon, of course they couldn't burn her. _She remembered fixing the princess's hair when she was a child; teaching her about makeup, because the poor kid always seemed to be surrounded by men. (Judar was annoyed that Kougyoku got to learn something he didn't, so Falan had taught him how to use eyeliner. Wahid had laughed when she'd told him about it.)  
_

“It's not too late, you know. We can still stop this,” _child-Solomon said.  
_

“But I was the one-”  


“I know. But that's why we have to help, right? We owe it to the people we've hurt.”  


_I know. He was right back then, wasn't he?  
_

_Where was Judar?  
_

_If she found him, wouldn't the nightmare be over?  
_

_“Mom...help me, please!”  
_

_Falan closed her eyes. She turned towards where Judar's voice had come from, and forced herself to look.  
_

_As she took in the sight of his burned, barely-living body- and what must have been Hakuryuu's right beside him- she heard a scream in the distance and the world tilted, shifted.  
_

Falan woke up with a gasp. Hastily, she rubbed the tears from her face, holding her breath and counting silently inside her head to quell the urge to throw up. Another muffled scream brought her firmly back to reality, and she winced. “...Serves me right for napping while you're in there, huh?” she murmured.  


But she had more magic back. That was good for both of them, right?  


_Wahid...what should I do when we make it out of here?_ she wondered, sighing tiredly. _No matter what happens, I can't go back home, obviously- I don't know if I even want to.  
_

_But is destroying Solomon really the right thing to do? Arba said it was, but Arba also tried to kill Judar... No, even before that, she went completely out of her gourd. We've been questioning her for years, but even now I can't make up my mind if she's right or wrong?  
_

_I don't know what to do on my own, do I?  
_

_Ja'far-----  
_

Ja'far watched her slide a needle into his hand- followed by another, and another. It hurt, of course; she knew exactly where to stick them to make it the most agonizing. But it was the magic she used that was hardest to deal with. His body was still trembling from the aftermath of her last spell, and he was dreading the next one.  


_I can't withstand much more of this...  
_

Another wave of magic washed over him, and he couldn't hold back the anguished scream this time. She grinned, increasing the intensity of the pain. “Oh, you're actually going to scream for me? And here I thought you were going to be stoic right up to the end!”  


As the spell subsided, Ja'far tried to get his breath back. But before he could, the magic was flowing through him again, filling every inch of his being with the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt, dragging another scream out of him.  


Well. It wasn't _quite_ as bad as Ithnan going through his mind had been. Closer than he'd thought anything could ever get, though.  


This time, the spell went on, and on, for longer than any of the others had. Ja'far was sure he was going to pass out, but just as his consciousness started to falter, the magic faded. She slapped him across the face. “Don't pass out,” she said briskly, beginning to pull the needles out of his flesh. “Though I'm surprised- that's the closest you've come to it, and we've been going for almost five hours, now.”  


_So...we're almost done?_ Ja'far thought, trying to hold back the flicker of hope inside him.  


As she pulled the last of the needles out of him, he saw her look over at the wall, where the spell was synthesized. “Ah, I just need a little more out of you- let's finish this up the easy way, shall we? Well, I suppose it's easy for _me,_ anyway.”  


Another blast of magic tore through him. _Bear it,_ he told himself, locking his jaw and refusing to scream. _For Sin, I have to..._ But the pain seemed to stretch on interminably; he clenched his hands into tight fists, forcing himself to stay conscious.  


Finally, it subsided. Ja'far closed his eyes, focusing on breathing. His heart was hammering in his chest, feeling like it might burst out of him. Everything hurt; he felt bruised all over, and every nerve burned with agony. Then there were the actual wounds she'd inflicted; nothing he couldn't handle under normal circumstances, but now...  


She undid the restraints. “Very good. Like I thought, you give the good stuff,” she said cheerfully. “It's a shame to let you go, but violating a contract here in the Iron City's a surefire way to get yourself killed or worse.”  


Ja'far just nodded, prying himself off the chair. Standing was next to impossible; he wobbled dangerously for a minute before he was able to walk over to where he'd left his clothes. She laughed, tossing him a roll of bandages. “Here, this one's on the house.”  


“Thanks,” Ja'far said. He wrapped the most noticeable of his injuries- anywhere she'd flayed off skin, for the most part. And the bruises on his throat. His hands were shaking, and they hadn't really stopped by the time he put his clothes back on.  


Once he was dressed, she led him back out into the main room. Falan stood, looking Ja'far over with a carefully neutral expression. “Done already?” she asked.  


“Yes. He's quite useful, I do hope you two come through here again,” replied the elf.  


“Well, if we do, we'll be sure to look you up,” Falan said.  


The elf giggled. “Oh, I hope so! Now, to get you two out of the city... Follow me.”  


\-----  


Everything was a blur. Ja'far followed Falan and the elf, putting all his concentration into following them and walking normally. Both of these things felt next to impossible, really, when every step sent shooting pains up his legs and made his battered feet hurt still more from the burning heat of the ground.  


Where were they going? He couldn't tell much about the route, save that it seemed to be partially under the city. His vision was blurry. How long had they been walking?  


A gentle hand on his arm brought him to a halt. Ja'far met Falan's worried green eyes. “We've got a few minutes,” she said. “Sit for a sec.”  


Ja'far looked around, blinking tiredly. There were crates, and metal cages; all empty. He looked back at Falan.  


“Really. Sit on a crate,” she said firmly. “We'll have a drink while we wait.”  


“...For what?” Ja'far asked. At least, he thought he asked it aloud. But Falan didn't answer, so maybe he hadn't. He sat on a crate, and let Falan create water in his hands. He drank deeply, the cool, clean water a relief on his tightened, bruised throat.  


Falan was more alert than he was; she was glancing around, clearly listening for something. A signal, probably- the elf was gone, and Ja'far didn't remember seeing her leave. “I have more magic back now,” she told him quietly. “I'm going to save it for when we get to the next layer, unless you need me to heal you a little.”  


“I'm fine,” Ja'far lied. “Don't waste your energy on me. Just get us home.”  


“Alright. I shouldn't trust when you say you're fine, but we're so close...”  


There was a whistle- soft, but clear. Falan took Ja'far's hand and pulled him carefully to his feet. “Come on, that's our signal. Try to look less like you were tortured for five hours, okay?”  


Ja'far nodded. He followed Falan, standing straight and walking as normally as he could.  


They went up a set of stairs to an iron gate- not as large as Ja'far had been expecting. The elf woman smiled at them; she stood over a guard, who looked dead. _No, wait, he's breathing._ Ja'far wasn't sure if that was a relief or not.  


“Don't worry, he'll be too embarrassed to report this,” the elf assured them. She opened the gate. “Go on through. Head to your left a few minutes, and you'll make the stairs to Avernus.”  


“Thanks,” Falan said, smiling. “Pleasure doing business with you.”  


Ja'far and Falan headed through the gate, and hurried along, following the elf's directions. And sure enough, they came to a mountain which had been carved into a giant set of stairs. The stairs themselves were enormous; a creature three times their size could walk easily up them. “Whoa,” Falan said softly. “That's impressive. And it looks like there's places to hide along the way- both good and bad, I guess.”  


“Yeah.” Ja'far sighed. “Let's get started. It's a long way up.”  


_Falan-----  
_

Falan was getting incredibly sick of climbing. On top of that, she was starving and exhausted. But she wasn't the one in the worst shape, she supposed- Ja'far was putting on a good show of being alright, but the kid was even paler than usual (an impressive feat, considering he normally put snow to shame) and less focused than before.  


“Talk to me, kid.”  


Ja'far looked over his shoulder at her. “...What?”  


“Just so I know you're still here. Last thing I need is you falling off the stairs because the pain got too overwhelming for you.”  


“I'm not going to do that.”  


“You've tripped five times in the past...can't be more than ten minutes. Not convinced.”  


“Neither am I.”  


Falan snorted. “Fair. C'mon, I'll give you something easy to ramble about. Tell me about Sinbad- maybe thinking about him will keep you on your feet.”  


“What about him?” Ja'far asked, giving her a wary look.  


“Relax, I don't think I'm going to be fighting _him_ in the near future. How did you join his side?”  


“There was a kyton in a cave. That's how I found out I had kyton blood, actually... Anyway, long story short, he saved me, even though I'd been trying to kill him. He...” Ja'far paused, eyes softening at the memory. “...He said I wasn't a monster. That I had a place with him. No one had ever said anything like that to me before.”  


_Just now, his eyes looked like Sheba's..._ Falan shook her head. “And you fell in love instantly, huh?”  


“...I guess I did.”  


Falan smiled in spite of herself. “As good a reason to change sides as any, huh.”  


“Yeah.” He glanced back at her, eyes a little glassy. “So...you really didn't know what was in the stone?”  


“Arba didn't tell us, no. There's a lot she didn't tell us.”  


“So you still don't know who else was in the stone?”  


Falan blinked. _That's right, Arba mentioned two passengers..._ “No, who was it?”  


“Aladdin.”  


_“I'm going to name him Aladdin.” Sheba beamed at her. “Once it's safer, then I'll give birth to him- Tess will be happy to have someone to play with, right?”  
_

_Falan laughed, hugging her. “Of course! Aww, Sheba, this is great! Tess can totally be a big brother for Aladdin.”  
_

_“That'll be wonderful!” Sheba smiled warmly. “I have a feeling I'm going to be asking you for advice a lot, too- I hope that's okay.”  
_

“Are you kidding?” Falan asked quietly. “Did Arba seriously...she seriously put a little kid in there with David's soul?”  


Ja'far nodded. “Yeah. Aladdin's safe now, at least- we got him out of the stone.”  


“I can't believe her,” Falan said, rage building inside her. “Arba...what the fuck was she thinking?! And Ithnan, too- they did that together, how could he justify...?” She punched the stone stairs as hard as she could.  


_How could they think this is right?  
_

“Somehow, it's a relief to know there's things you won't do,” Ja'far commented.  


Falan winced, shaking out her now-bleeding hand. “Wow, I have problems with people messing with kids' souls, what a shocker,” she said dryly. “Anyone in their right mind would say that's wrong.”  


_Well, not that I've done nothing wrong myself...actually, I've done a lot of things. But never anything so bad as that.  
_

_Ja'far-----  
_

_Ja'far knew he was awake, on some level. But seeing Sin here- it had to be a dream, right?  
_

_No...it looked so much like him, but that wasn't really Sin.  
_

_It couldn't be.  
_

_The ocean wind brushed against Ja'far's face, a welcome coolness. But at the same time, the scent reminded him so much of Sin; a wave of longing washed through him, leaving him lonely and helpless in its wake. The man who looked like Sin was telling him something, but Ja'far couldn't hear him; he was too far away. Or was he? After all, he was floating right next to Ja'far.  
_

_That was a shame; he probably sounded like Sin, too, and Ja'far felt he would do anything to hear that voice again.  
_

_He would do anything to have Sin by his side again...  
_

Sweat dripped into his eyes, and as he rubbed them to clear it, the vision was gone. _I guess I'm officially hallucinating now,_ Ja'far thought grimly. _Still...it wasn't a bad one.  
_

“Come on, Ja'far. Not much further,” Falan was saying.  


Ja'far nodded. “Right.”  


Somehow, they made it up the last few stairs. Falan grabbed Ja'far's arm and pulled him quickly to a pile of rocks, sheltering them from sight.  


The top layer of Hell was a charred wasteland; made of ruins and fortresses, with fireballs screaming constantly across the sky. Off in the distance, armies of devils clashed.  


“Okay,” Falan said. “Ja'far, try to keep it together long enough to keep watch while I get these anchors off.”  


Ja'far nodded. “Right.”  


The now-familiar green glow began to play over the two of them, and Ja'far turned his focus to their surroundings. None of the armies were close enough to be a threat, and any stray devils coming and going between the first and second layer seemed to have urgent errands to attend to.  


Falan was quietly cursing; the anchors didn't want to come off, it seemed.  


_“You're really bad at this, aren't you?”  
_

The voice was accompanied by a cold, wet touch on the back of Ja'far's neck. Ja'far winced, looking around for the source of the voice. _Valefor? No way, he can't...  
_

_“The one and only. What are you doing?”  
_

_Keeping watch?_ Ja'far supposed that it was better not to talk out loud to a god only he could hear; Falan might think he was _really_ losing it.  


_“Look, pup, I know you're devilspawn and all, but is praying_ seriously _beyond you?”  
_

_What do you mean?  
_

_“I_ mean, _I chose you and your mate to be champions of mine. And you- the one who needs my help the most- hasn't sent a single prayer my way! Are you stupid? I can't really help if you don't ask. Well, I would've had trouble interfering in the lower layers, I guess, but here...”  
_

_Wait, does that mean you've heard from Sin? Is he alright?!  
_

_“Your mate's doing what he can. Worry about your own tail until you get out of Hell, won't you?”  
_

_Sorry?_ Ja'far glanced over at Falan. _Look, I've never actually prayed before. Do I just ask you for the thing I want?  
_

_“Eh, that'll do. Polite's nice.”  
_

_Then please, almighty Valefor, could you get the Dimensional Anchors off the two of us? Or help Falan do it? Either way, we need them gone.  
_

_“Sure you want me to help her? Isn't she your enemy?”  
_

_I'm not leaving her in Hell. No one deserves that.  
_

_“As long as you're sure.”  
_

_I am. Thank you.  
_

The cold sensation vanished. Falan let out a soft cry of triumph a moment later. “Got them! Okay, kid, give me your hand- we're going back to the Material Plane.”  


Ja'far took her hand. “You got them off?”  


“Yeah, somehow.” She sketched a glowing, green door in midair. “Got lucky, I guess.”  


_Thank you, Valefor._ Ja'far let her pull him through the door.  


Instantly, the air was cooler. Ja'far blinked, eyes adjusting to the soft darkness of night. There were trees around them, and grass under their feet. Owls hooted in the forest around them, and Ja'far could hear a brook somewhere nearby. And above them, the stars and the full moon filled the sky with light.  


Even more than that, the world _felt_ right.  


They had made it home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Valefor's blessing had to kick in eventually!
> 
> also, I'm sorry I haven't replied to most of the comments I've gotten over the last few chapters! I really do appreciate them, and you guys are all wonderful. thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the last few chapters! :)


	37. Chapter thirty-seven

The moon and stars and the cool softness of night welcomed them home from Hell. Ja'far and Falan stood stunned for a long moment, unable to believe their luck had turned at last.  


“We really did it,” Falan whispered.  


“We're home,” Ja'far agreed.  


Falan took a deep breath. “...Okay. I have to get to Kou. If Judar's alive, he's there.”  


“Take me with you. I need to find the others, and...”  


“I do owe you. I'll bring you with me- but I may have to leave in a hurry, so a one-way trip to Kou is all I can promise you,” Falan warned him.  


“That's fine.”  


Falan took his hand. “Then let's go.” She whispered words in a language Ja'far faintly recognized (Yamraiha used it for spells, he was fairly certain), and an eerie green glow lit the area. The world shimmered around them, and abruptly vanished.  


When it returned, they were in a cluttered, dark study. Falan held up a glowing hand, illuminating it. “Okay, guess they haven't changed the protection over the palace yet- I can still get in,” she muttered. “Dunno if that's good or bad.”  


Ja'far went to a window, looking out carefully. “It's only early evening, here... Odd, it was late at night where we were before.”  


“Guess we were further away than I realized. Good thing we weren't out of range to get here." Falan grabbed a wooden staff with an ornate cooper head from a rack in the corner of the room. “Surprised they left this here- they took most of my other tools, it looks like. Oh well, this is the one that matters, I guess.” She led him downstairs- poking her head into a messy room along the way. “He's not here...”  


“Maybe he's with Hakuryuu?” Ja'far suggested.  


Falan smiled slightly. “Gods, I hope so.”  


“I'm going to go look for Masrur and Yamraiha. Good luck,” Ja'far said.  


“Hey, wait a sec.”  


“Hm?”  


Falan held out a hand to him. “C'mon, I'll speed things up for you. Think about the people you want to find.”  


Ja'far took her hand, closing his eyes and picturing the group of them in his mind. “Alright, now what?”  


An image flashed inside his mind; Masrur in his lion form, napping on the floor in...was that Princess Kougyoku's room? Ja'far opened his eyes. “What was...?”  


“Spell I know. Amazing how much better they work here, huh?” Falan asked. “How many did you see?”  


“Just Masrur.”  


“Then he's the only one of your friends who's still in the immediate vicinity. I'm going to get Judar- he's with Hakuryuu and Kougyoku right now.”  


Ja'far nodded. “That's where Masrur is, too.” _The only one in the immediate vicinity- but then where are Yamraiha and Sharrkan?_  


“Ah, really? That kinda makes sense, actually. Come with me, then.”  


“Oh...alright.”  


“Invisible, though. Let's be careful as long as we can be.”  


Ja'far activated his ring. “Of course. Though doors might be a problem.”  


“Nope. Not on our home plane.” Falan took his hand, and vanished from sight. “Short-distance teleportation isn't hard, and if done right, doesn't leave a huge 'magic was used here' sign for anyone on the lookout.”  


“Sounds good to me.”  


It was amazing how much energy Ja'far could pretend he had, now that he knew at least one of his family was safe and close by. He followed Falan, closing his eyes each time they teleported through a wall. It made him dizzy and mildly nauseous, but he didn't care. Hell had been worse, and it was all to get to Masrur.  


Finally, they jumped through the last wall, into Princess Kougyoku's room. The Princess was at a desk, trying to study; Prince Hakuryuu was sitting off to the side, looking lost in thought. Judar was reading- or pretending to; he kept sneaking glances at the others with an air of barely-contained unease. Masrur was in lion form, napping on the floor.  


When they entered the room, though, Masrur lifted his head, sniffing the air in confusion.  


Falan let go of his hand, and dropped her enchantment. Ja'far deactivated his ring.  


The next thing he knew, Masrur was in human form again; he'd grabbed Ja'far's arm and pulled him away from Falan, putting himself in between them.  


“Mom!” Judar was hugging Falan, grinning with relief. “What happened? Where were you?!”  


“Are you two alright?” Kougyoku asked, eyes wide. “You both look _awful,_ what happened to you?”  


“Thrown to another plane to keep us out of the way,” Falan replied, smiling. “We had some trouble getting out. Are all of you alright? What happened here? Is Arba actually dead?”  


Ja'far petted Masrur's hair. “It's alright,” he said quietly. “We currently share goals. She won't attack us at this point.” Masrur nodded, relaxing slightly.  


Kougyoku looked back and forth between Falan and Ja'far, weighing thoughts. She took a deep breath. “You two should sit down,” she said. “There isn't much to tell, but...I would like a bit more information from the two of you. Though we'd better hurry if we want to keep this to the six of us- Koubun's in a meeting, and will be back in an hour at most.”  


“Fair enough.” Both of them found places to sit. Falan hadn't let go of Judar. “How'd the battle turn out?”  


“Arba really is dead, and at Koumei's suggestion, we, um, beheaded, staked and burned the body to prevent her from rising as a lich or vampire or anything like that,” Kougyoku said. She went to a table in the back and brought a basket of fruit over to them. “Empress Hakuei says your help was critical, by the way.”  


It took a lot of restraint not to shove the entire contents of the basket into his mouth at once, but Ja'far knew from past experience that he needed to eat slowly. He took a peach and bit into it- nothing had ever tasted quite so good. “She's Empress, now? How long were we gone?”  


“Two weeks.”  


Falan winced. “That's...not good.” She helped herself to a pear. “What happened after the battle?”  


“Everyone affiliated with Arba left,” Kougyoku said. “Most of them teleported out- courtiers who were close to 'Empress Gyokuen' sneaked out of court. Though basically anyone who left the mundane way- and a few who left through magic- were detained and brought in for questioning by my brothers and their wizards.” She gave Ja'far a worried look. “Um...Lady Yamraiha was planning to stay, to help us with cleanup until she could find you and Sinbad. But she vanished, the night after the battle.”  


“...Vanished?” Ja'far asked. He looked to Masrur. “But how...”  


Masrur shook his head. “I was there. But I didn't wake up. Their wizards said someone made sure I didn't.”  


“So she was kidnapped, more or less?” Falan asked.  


Ja'far rubbed his forehead tiredly. “She's incredibly powerful, and knows a lot of magic- and David would know that. Maybe he decided to get rid of her.” _No, she can't be dead- she can't be, she_ has _to be alive!  
_

“Or use her. Monster was always fond of controlling people,” Falan said. “A powerful wizard would be useful to him, I'm sure.” Ja'far could see the anger rising up in her, watched her force it down.  


“None of us know who this 'David' person really is,” Kougyoku said. “Could you please explain?”  


“Well, he used to be the ruler of the country I'm originally from,” Falan explained. “Alma Torran. He was the High Priest of Il Ilah.”  


Masrur blinked. “The one Solomon fought.”  


“Yeah.” Falan sighed. “There was a revolution- we all fought to free everyone from his control. We won. We paid dearly for that victory. And Arba...for some stupid reason, she got it into her head to bring him back. Maybe she just wanted to spite Solomon. Maybe she really thought it was the right thing to do.” She shook her head. “Anyway, now he's using Sinbad's body to exist in the world of the living. We have to stop him.”  


“And you're sure he's left Kou?” Ja'far asked.  


Kougyoku nodded. “Yes. Empress Hakuei didn't have the details, but she knew something was wrong with Sinbad. So we've been looking for him, too, but to no avail,” she explained.  


“Okay, so what happens now?” Judar asked. “We go fight this dead asshole?”  


“You're _not_ going to fight him,” Falan snapped. “I've lost too many people to him, you are _not_ getting a spot on that list.”  


Judar's eyebrows shot up. “Sheesh, sorry.”  


Falan sighed. “...Besides, you're too young for this.”  


“Come _on,_ I fought Arba!”  


“Don't remind me,” Falan said, wincing. “Gods, do you have _any_ idea how terrifying it was to see you fighting her?”  


Judar shrugged. “Pretty damn terrifying?”  


“You're such a brat,” Falan complained, hugging him. “Ah, geez, I'm _so_ glad you're not dead.”  


“Um...are you hoping to stay here?” Kougyoku asked. “I-I mean, since Empress Hakuei is grateful to you for saving her and Hakuryuu's lives, you might be allowed...”  


Falan shook her head. “Nah, I don't think I can afford to risk that. The awful stuff I've done isn't outweighed by helping Prin- er, _Empress_ Hakuei.”  


“So you're leaving,” Hakuryuu said quietly.  


“I have to. Judar...you've got two options, kiddo.”  


“Let me guess: come with you, wherever you end up going, or stay here and hope they let me work with Kouha's wizards?” Judar said. He sighed. “Great, thanks, these are some _lovely_ choices you're giving me.”  


“I mean, you could stay with Hakuryuu- I think you proved beyond any doubt you're loyal to him. You'd probably be safest here.”  


Judar pulled away from her, pacing around the room. “Nah, I get it. I thought about this, when I was wondering if you were going to come back or not. Kinda surprised you're letting me choose, though.”  


“Well, I'm not at my best right now, decision-wise,” Falan said. “Just remember, though, whichever you choose, you can't take it back.”  


“No pressure or anything,” Judar muttered, rolling his eyes. “Ah, fuck.”  


“Do we have time for this?” Masrur asked Ja'far quietly.  


Ja'far shrugged. “No. But Falan's the fastest way to get where we need to be. Be patient.” _I would be less so myself, but I'm also not convinced I can stand up again.  
_

“You're going with them, Masrur?” Kougyoku asked.  


Masrur nodded.  


Kougyoku smiled sadly. “Ah...I thought so. Well, when things are settled, please send word to let me know you're alright. Though you're also welcome to come back, if you want to.”  


“I'll send word at least,” Masrur agreed.  


“Good. If you don't, I'll get worried about you,” Kougyoku said, smiling.  


“Thank you for looking out for him, Princess,” Ja'far said.  


“Well, of course I couldn't abandon him,” she replied. “We fought together, after all. And we're friends now, too.”  


Masrur nodded.  


On the other side of the room, Judar looked as though he'd come to a decision. “I'm going with you,” he said.  


Falan stood, movements stiff. “Are you sure, Judar? It'll be dangerous, and we're not going to be in one place for a long time,” she said. “And if you leave, I don't know if they'll let you back into the palace. You might not get to see your friends again.”  


“I'll get to see them again. Somehow,” Judar said. He rubbed the back of his head. “Anyway, I still have a lot to learn from you, and you're going to get bored on your own, so. I'm going with you.”  


Falan hugged him tightly. “...Okay.” She let him go. “Say your goodbyes quickly- we have to get out of here before anyone finds us. We don't have time to give Kouen every tiny detail of our trip through, um, the other plane we were on.”  


As Judar went over to talk to Hakuryuu, Kougyoku said, “I'll figure out what to tell my brothers to explain their absence. Um... are you two really going to be alright, going out again like that? You still look...”  


“Don't worry,” Falan said, smiling. She hugged Kougyoku. “Thank you so much for helping us. I don't think I really deserve your trust at this point.”  


Kougyoku shook her head. “Well...you've always been nice to me, and I knew Judar was more important to you than anything else, so. You know.”  


“Thanks, Kougyoku.” Falan pulled away, smiling. “The Empire's lucky to have you, and they'd better know it by now. I'm going to miss you.”  


“I'll miss you, too. Good luck,” Kougyoku said.  


Judar came over to talk to Kougyoku next; Falan went over to Hakuryuu, who looked conspicuously teary-eyed. Ja'far stopped listening, and instead focused on standing up. It was much more difficult than it should have been, and Masrur ended up hauling him to his feet.  


“What happened to you?”  


“I haven't rested much since...I don't know, before the battle,” Ja'far said. “Haven't had time to recover. Don't worry, I'll be fine.”  


Masrur frowned at him. “You're hurt.”  


“I'm walking it off.”  


Before Masrur could say anything (to Ja'far's relief), Falan said, “Alright, you two. I guess we're still headed to the same place, so come with us. We're going back to my place for a minute to grab a couple things, but that won't take more than a couple minutes.”  


Ja'far nodded, stepping forward. “Same deal as before?”  


“Yeah. Masrur, Judar, we're going to be invisible so we can get out of here faster. Hold hands so we don't lose each other, alright?”  


With the exact amount of skepticism of teenagers asked to hold hands, Masrur and Judar took each other's hands, forming a chain with Falan and Ja'far. Falan cast invisibility magic over the group. “Okay, let's go.”  


“Wait a sec,” Judar said.  


Ja'far heard light footsteps, and saw Hakuryuu rock back slightly- in surprise, or as if someone had bumped into him unexpectedly. Or possibly both. The prince's face turned red, and his eyes widened.  


“I'll see you eventually,” Judar said.  


Falan sighed, amused. “Okay, now we're really going.”  


They returned to the place Ja'far and Falan had arrived, and returned to visibility. “Okay, Judar, you have two minutes to grab anything important.”  


As Judar ran off, Ja'far asked, “Do you have a plan from here?”  


Falan shook her head. “Not so much. But I think David would've gone back to Alma Torran- maybe he'll try and find Solomon.” She touched her staff to Ja'far's shoulder, and healing energy flowed into him.  


“Thanks. Where _is_ Solomon?” Ja'far asked.  


“Trapped.” Falan rubbed at her face with her free hand. “...I need to let him and Sheba out, I guess. I'm the only one who knows how, anymore.”  


Ja'far nodded. “That would probably help us, yes.”  


“Yeah, no kidding.”  


“Take us to Mustasim, first,” Ja'far said. “Aladdin and the others are waiting for my group there- we ought to let them know what happened. Besides, Aladdin was going to bring someone named 'Ugo', and-”  


Falan sighed. “I burned all my bridges to Alma Torran years ago, kid. You might be allied with them, but I'm pretty sure I'm the last person they'd want to join up with.”  


“You have a common enemy, and you know where Sheba and Solomon are, and how to get them out. I think you can work something out for now, at least,” Ja'far replied. “And you did just say you intended to let them out.”  


“Okay, you say that, but I-”  


“No one's in a position to start attacking on sight.” Ja'far sighed. “Besides, they'll need your information at the very least. And once we stop David, you can just leave, as quickly as you need to. If you help me save Sin, I'll cover your escape.”  


“You're really not going to take no for an answer, are you?” Falan asked dryly. The glow of healing magic faded.  


Ja'far shook his head. At another moment, he'd have been amazed by how much better his body felt, but he was too preoccupied to think about it too much. “In this case? No.” _There's too much at stake right now.  
_

“Swear to me that you'll personally ensure Judar and I can walk away from this, and I'll do it,” Falan said.  


“I'll do whatever I have to,” Ja'far replied.  


Falan smiled. “You know, somehow? I actually believe you. Alright. Let's give it a shot.”  


Judar came down the stairs, carrying a backpack and his jagged, black metal staff. “Okay, ready to go!”  


“About time, sheesh...” Falan went to a desk and pulled what looked like a handkerchief out of it. She stuffed it down her shirt. “Okay. I have what I need, so let's go. Circle up, everyone.”  


“What's the cloth thing?” Judar asked. “And where are we going?”  


“Portable hole- Wahid and I had one packed in case we needed to leave in a hurry. And we're going to Mustasim. We might not be super welcome there, though, so be ready for that.”  


“Where's that?” Judar asked as the group joined hands.  


“Northern continent.” Falan whispered the spell, and the world began to blur around them. “Ja'far, this had better work.”  


“It will.” _Sin...we're on our way._


	38. Chapter thirty-eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter! but the end is in sight, now.

When the haze of magic cleared from around them, they were in Mustasim, right near the palace. Ja'far stared up at the sky. “...Now it's afternoon?”  


“Yeah. We're a lot further west, so the sun's not down here yet,” Falan said. “More importantly, people know we're here. We passed through a barrier of some kind.”  


Ja'far realized he hadn't even thought about the barrier that had nearly kept him and Masrur out the last time they'd been here. _How did I not think of that? Gods, I'm turning into an idiot..._ “Then we should stay where we are for the moment.”  


“So we don't look threatening. Right.” Falan frowned, clearly uneasy. She let go of Ja'far and Judar's hands to properly grip her staff. “Judar, when people come to meet us, don't be a smartass. There is a very real possibility that they'll be hostile, so don't piss anyone off.” She paused, sighed. “Actually...just try not to talk, okay?”  


Judar snorted. “Wow, you have so much faith in me.”  


“I have a lot of faith in you. Especially in your tendency to be a smartass at the worst possible moments,” Falan replied.  


“Yeah, okay, that's fair,” Judar agreed, shrugging.  


Guards were approaching, but they weren't the only ones. Ja'far recognized the Queen, Isaac, Mogamett...  


Alibaba, Morgiana and Aladdin ran up to the group, not bothering to be cautious. “Ja'far!” Alibaba said, hugging him tightly. “Are you okay?! What happened? Where's Sinbad?”  


“The Queen said you guys were getting a lot more involved than you'd meant to,” Aladdin said, hugging Ja'far as well. “And then the Kou sent word that all of you disappeared. Please tell me Sinbad and Yam are okay!”  


Ja'far shook his head. His vision was blurry all of a sudden- exhaustion, probably. Falan might have healed his wounds, but magic couldn't take exhaustion away. “I...I'm sorry,” he said, and for a moment he wasn't sure that it was his voice; it sounded cracked, wrong... “I'm sorry... I don't know where they are now, or if they're...” He was shaking. “...Sin was possessed, and I don't know where he went- or what he's doing. Yamraiha disappeared before I could get back, and...” His face was wet, he realized dimly. Hastily, he wiped his eyes, trying to get himself back under control.  


“You were supposed to protect her!” It was Mogamett's voice, he knew. He almost didn't care.  


“It's not his fault,” Falan snapped.  


“Who are you?” Dunya's voice.  


Falan knelt. “My name is Falan, your Majesty,” she replied. “I am...”  


Aladdin let go of Ja'far, turning to stare at her. “You're Falan?”  


“That's right,” she said, looking at him with a tired smile. “And you've _got_ to be Aladdin- you look just like your dad. Besides the eyes, anyway.”  


Aladdin smiled, a little sad. “And you're really pretty, just like mom said. Are you...friends with Ja'far, now?”  


“Yeah,” Falan said. “We've been through a lot in the past couple weeks. And we have a common enemy.”  


“Arba?”  


Ja'far frowned. “No, she's...no longer a problem. Aladdin, this isn't going to be easy to hear, but, well...”  


“Elder David has returned,” Falan said.  


Aladdin's eyes widened. “Oh, no...was that what happened two weeks ago?”  


“Exactly.”  


Aladdin turned to Alibaba and Morgiana (who had been speaking to Masrur). “That's why Ugo and I can't contact Alma Torran anymore! I knew it had to be something like that, to put up such a powerful shield!”  


“Yeah, but isn't your grandfather dead?” Alibaba asked. “How'd he come back? Did he, um, necromance himself or something?”  


“No,” Ja'far said. “Arba and Ithnan did. They wanted to use him to revive Il Ilah. And his spirit ended up possessing Sin.” A hand found his, squeezed firmly. Ja'far glanced over, seeing Morgiana looking up at him with concern in her eyes. He tried to smile, but didn't quite manage it.  


Alibaba stared, dismayed. “Even though he had all those blessings and things?”  


“That may have been _why_ he targeted Sinbad,” Aladdin said, frowning. “I think they might have made him more appealing.” He shook his head. “But if it's Sinbad, he has to be fighting back!”  


Ja'far nodded. “Of course he is.”  


“Right. So where were you, the past couple weeks?” Alibaba asked.  


“Hell,” Falan replied.  


The others stared at her. “...What?” Alibaba asked, voice barely above a whisper.  


“David sent us to Hell. He wanted us out of the way- Ja'far was helping Sinbad fight him, and I was...well, at least annoying him,” Falan replied grimly. “And he stuck spells on us to keep us there. We clawed our way through three layers of Hell before I could get them off and bring us home.”  


“If he went to that much trouble, you must have been doing more than annoying him,” a soft voice commented.  


Falan winced- or jumped- or some combination of the two. She turned, facing the tall man approaching the group. He had light blue hair, a roughly diamond-shaped red mark on his forehead, and he was looking at Falan with such a mix of emotions that Ja'far couldn't begin to read his expression. Falan stood, finally, holding her chin up almost defiantly. “I wondered if you were here,” she said, a deliberate lack of emotion in her voice.  


“And I have to say, I wasn't expecting to see you,” the man replied, also deliberately neutral.  


Falan was silent, clearly wrestling with her emotions.  


“Why _are_ you here, Falan?”  


Ja'far wanted to speak up, to interfere, but he knew he couldn't. If Falan couldn't convince this man, one she clearly knew well, that her intentions were good...well, then Ja'far had no hope of doing so.  


“Ja'far told me to bring him here,” Falan replied. “If he hadn't, then I would have gone straight to the first seal- to the place where Sheba is.”  


His eyebrows shot up. “After you went to all the trouble of sealing her away?”  


“Yeah.” Falan's hands tightened on her staff. “After I free her, Solomon's next. He's the only one who could defeat David before, no reason to think he won't be able to repeat that now. Look, Ugo, I know you don't trust me- and there's no reason for you to trust me. I get that. But you know me, and you know what I've lost. Can you honestly think that I wouldn't do absolutely anything to send David back to the underworld?”  


Ugo sighed. “I know, Falan.” He frowned. “But still. I'm not going to let you go on your own.”  


“I wouldn't be on my own in the first place,” Falan replied, raising an eyebrow. “Ja'far's coming with me. And Judar's coming at least to where Sheba is.”  


At that, several other voices chimed in to say that they were coming, too- well, Ja'far had been expecting that. Though he hadn't expected Queen Dunya to be one of them.  


“Your Majesty, you can't-”  


“If this 'David' person took Yamraiha, then of course I will help these people fight him!” Dunya retorted.  


Ugo shook his head. “No, we shouldn't bring anyone with us- in a battle with David, only people with access to serious magic stand a chance.”  


Dunya's blue eyes flashed. “Well, it's a good thing I have 'serious magic', isn't it?” she replied. “Or do you not count divine magic?”  


“Ah- well, that's-” Ugo stammered, flustered.  


Ja'far took a step towards him. “I know Falan's too smart to try and leave me behind,” he said firmly. “Don't assume I'm powerless just because I'm not a wizard.”  


Ugo took a step back. “Um...”  


Masrur and Morgiana came to stand at Ja'far's side. “You know how strong Fanalis are,” Morgiana reminded him.  


“Yeah. And I may be just a magicless human, but I'm not staying behind, either!” Alibaba said.  


Aladdin smiled. “Don't worry, Ugo. We'll be fine!”  


“We don't have time to convince them to stay behind,” Falan pointed out. “Let's just go.”  


Ugo sighed. “Powerful magic or not, I'm not sure taking her Majesty is a good idea- it's going to be dangerous, and if anything happens to her, then her country...”  


Isaac nodded. “I agree. My Queen, please, consider your position.”  


“You're just saying that to keep me out of trouble,” Dunya said flatly.  


“Basically, yes, but that doesn't make it any less _true,_ Dunya,” Isaac pointed out.  


“We don't have time for this,” Ja'far said. “Your Majesty, if you want to help us get Yamraiha and Sin back, then I would appreciate the help. Even if you don't go, though, we'll still save her. Make the right choice, but make it _now.”  
_

“Dunya, please-”  


But Dunya cut her knight off. “I will accompany you. Isaac, Lord Mogamett, until I return with Yamraiha, you two are in charge.” She smiled. “Yes, my reasons are personal, but on the other hand, this affects the rest of the world; I can't ignore that. Isaac, you can be angry when I return. Alright?”  


Isaac bowed. “...I understand, your Majesty,” he said- a little coldly, Ja'far thought. He was definitely mad at her.  


“Then if that's decided, let's get this over with, yeah?” Falan said. “Ugo, I'll take us to where we put Sheba.”  


Ugo nodded. “Okay. Are you sure you'll be okay, with so many people to transport?” he asked.  


“Hmm...” Falan looked over the group, doing a quick count. “Nah, it's just nine. We'll be fine,” she said, shrugging. “Everyone, form a circle around me and join hands.”  


“'Just' nine? How many people have you been moving around?” Ugo asked warily.  


“My limit's around twenty these days,” Falan replied absently. The group formed a circle around her, joining hands (in Judar's case, somewhat warily). “Alright. Here we go.” She held up her staff, speaking aloud in a foreign language.  


The clearing lit up green with Falan's magic, and Mustasim faded away.  


As they appeared...wherever Falan had taken them, the first thing Ja'far noticed was the oppressive heat. It certainly didn't feel like spring.  


Around them loomed the ruined walls of a long-abandoned city. The jungle around the city was steadily reclaiming it, moss and vines covering crumbling stone buildings. Off in the distance, Ja'far could faintly hear the ocean.  


“Whoa,” Judar whispered. “There was a serious battle here a while back, huh?”  


“Huh, you can tell just by looking?” Alibaba asked.  


Judar shrugged. “I mean, I can feel some residual magic, too. And that building _totally_ got nailed by a fireball, while that one got cracked apart by...ice, probably. Mom took me to Partevia once, a while back- I've seen the kind of damage magic can do to a country.”  


“Wait, Falan's your mom?” Aladdin asked.  


“Yeah. Problem, shrimp?”  


“N-No.”  


“Judar's right, though,” Falan said, ruffling his hair. “The Resistance had a base here, many years ago. It was destroyed during the war for Alma Torran- we had to abandon it not long after Sheba joined us. Arba's got a thing for symmetry.”  


Ugo sighed. “I guess she does. Where's Sheba?”  


“This way. I couldn't bring us right to her- too much magical interference from the seal- so we've got a short walk.”  


Falan led the way through the ruins. As they went, Ja'far could see Judar had been right about the battle; there were melted edges on some of the stone buildings, and unusual cracks in others.  


Judar paused, kneeling to pull something out of the ground. Aladdin leaned closer to look at it. “What'd you find?”  


“Glass. Someone used a lightning spell, and that melted the sand,” Judar explained, showing him. “Mundane lightning can do it, too.”  


“Cool,” Aladdin said, intrigued. “You know a lot about this stuff, huh?”  


“Well, yeah.”  


“There's something out there,” Morgiana said, sniffing the air.  


Masrur nodded. “It's...kind of familiar, though.”  


“Melee fighters, form a circle around the casters,” Ja'far said. “Keep them safe so they can cover us. Whatever it is, we can't take chances.”  


The group formed up as he'd instructed.  


_“My, my...this is quite an unusual group,”_ said an incredibly familiar voice.  


Ja'far looked up, shading his eyes so he could see. A man- no, more than simply a man- floated down to hover just a little above the group, surveying them with a curious, golden gaze.  


To say that he looked just like Sin was both very accurate and very incorrect. Ja'far could pick out a thousand details that were the same about their faces, coloring... and yet, this being had darker purple hair that ended in feathers, and more feathers along his forearms and calves. He had red markings along his otherwise bare chest, too.  


It was abundantly clear that he wasn't human.  


“Who do we have the honor of addressing?” Ugo asked, polite but nervous.  


_“I am Focalor, God of Domination and Submission; he who rules the ocean winds.”  
_

_Valefor mentioned him,_ Ja'far remembered. He forced down a smile, remembering the exact (and rather unflattering) terms his patron had used to describe Focalor- _'the god of sleeping around and being a nuisance'.  
_

“To...to what do we owe the honor, Lord Focalor?” Ugo asked.  


_“It's more of a family matter, actually.”_ Focalor floated in front of Ja'far, who was still reeling from the god's similarity to Sin. _“Hmm...well, you aren't the consort_ I _would have chosen, but I can definitely see why he picked you.”  
_

Ja'far raised an eyebrow. “With respect, Lord Focalor, I'm not his 'consort'. We're _partners.”  
_

Focalor smiled. _“Do you know that for certain?”  
_

“Yes.” Ja'far scowled. “You're where Sin gets his divine heritage from- why aren't you protecting him now?”  


_“Alas, I made a deal- no interference at all when it came to my son- his father- and only indirect, lesser interference when it comes to his descendants. Blessing him has been most of what I can do.”_ Focalor gave him an appraising look, one that made Ja'far mildly uncomfortable. _“Unless you're willing to help me override that, at least in part.”  
_

Ja'far folded his arms. “What are you asking me to do, exactly?” he asked.  


_“You are technically Valefor's, so I cannot make you mine, but perhaps...”  
_

_Valefor, please grant me the patience to deal with him._ Ja'far turned to the others. “The rest of you should keep moving. I'll catch up with you once I've finished here.”  


Falan nodded. “Okay. Good luck.”  


“Thanks.”  


As they left, Focalor commented, _“The Oathbreaker is quite lovely- I can see why you would give her another chance. Though your other female companions are also gorgeous...”  
_

“That has nothing to do with it, and please refrain from looking at my friends that way. Morgiana's too young for you anyway.”  


_“Fiesty, aren't we?”  
_

Ja'far scowled. “When it comes to them, yes.”  


Focalor reached out, tilting Ja'far's chin up gently. Ja'far found himself staring into arresting golden eyes- so much like Sin's, it made his heart ache. _“Look at you,”_ he said, voice oddly warm. _“You're exhausted, completely beyond your limits, and you just escaped Hell a couple hours ago at most...and all you can think about is protecting other people.”  
_

“Please stop,” Ja'far said, pulling away. “Just...just tell me what I have to do to help Sin. I'll do anything.”  


_“I know you would.”_ Focalor smiled. _“Luckily, this is fairly simple- pray for my intercession. I have a feeling if I asked you for much beyond that, my grandson would come after me once he's free.”  
_

Ja'far nodded, kneeling. Or maybe his legs had given out from exhaustion, he couldn't tell anymore. “Alright.” He took a shaky breath, trying to find words. “...Mighty Focalor, ruler of the ocean winds, please free and protect your grandson...”  


How long he spoke, and the specifics of what he asked, he had little idea. But finally, his voice trailed off, and he looked up, hoping that was enough.  


Focalor regarded him thoughtfully. _“That will do. I will grant Sinbad more of my strength- mostly through you, the supplicant who entreated me so eloquently.”_ He held out his hand to Ja'far, and a golden glow appeared there. _“Take this, and be sure it gets to him.”  
_

Ja'far stood, taking the glow from Focalor's hand. It solidified into a simple gold ring with a crimson stone. “Will it help him shake off David?”  


_“His own will has to decide that; I am giving him strength, but he must provide the focus.”  
_

Ja'far wasn't sure if that was a 'yes' or a 'no'. He nodded anyway, though, and said, “Thank you, Focalor.”  


Focalor smiled, leaning down and kissing Ja'far's forehead. Ja'far felt an odd tingle of energy go down his spine. _“Take care of him. Though I suppose I needn't tell you that.”  
_

“Of course.”  


As Focalor faded back into the winds, Ja'far turned and hurried in the direction the others had gone. _I hope that was enough..._ he thought, breaking into a run. _Sin...hold on just a little longer, I'm going to get to you soon. With the reinforcements I'm getting, we'd better be ready for this.  
_

There was a golden-green glow radiating from nearby; Ja'far guessed that was where the rest of the group was. He broke into a run, dodging around broken walls and ducking through ruined buildings.  


It didn't take him long to reach them. Alibaba, Morgiana and Masrur were standing back, watching the magic-users at work.  


Ugo, Aladdin, Judar and Dunya were arrayed in a circle around a silver crystal of some sort. While they were still, apparently just channeling energy, Falan was in motion, moving around the crystal, whispering spells. She looked as though she was unraveling a tapestry, almost.  


Ja'far joined Alibaba and the Fanalis. “How long have they been working?” he asked quietly.  


“Not long,” Masrur said.  


“They took a while getting set up,” Alibaba explained. “Falan had to make sure everyone was channeling the right kinds of energy or something? I'm not a wizard, so I don't think I could explain it well.”  


“The crystal was much darker before,” Morgiana said. “They seem to be making progress.”  


Ja'far nodded. “That's good to know.”  


Alibaba put a hand on Ja'far's arm. “Are you... _really_ okay?” he asked.  


“Yeah. I'm fine,” Ja'far lied, smiling.  


There was a crunch like gravel; the stone under Morgiana's feet cracked. She frowned at him. “You're lying.”  


“She's right,” Alibaba said. “You look exhausted, Ja'far. I thought you were gonna collapse earlier, when we first saw you!”  


Ja'far sighed. “I'll be fine. Once we get Sin and Yamraiha back, I can worry about myself.”  


“If you collapse, though, you won't be able to help them,” Alibaba pointed out.  


“Falan healed me, I can keep going,” Ja'far replied. “Trust me, it was much worse before. Compared to that, just being tired is nothing.”  


Alibaba and Morgiana shared a look. “...Not reassuring,” Morgiana decided.  


“Nope,” Alibaba agreed.  


“You spent two weeks in Hell,” Masrur said.  


“I do remember that,” Ja'far replied dryly, trying not to think about it. “Really, all of you should focus on what we need to do- we'll need to be careful, especially when fighting people who are being controlled.”  


Morgiana nodded. “I'm used to holding back. I can avoid doing permanent damage.”  


“I can be careful- it's tricky with fire, but I've got some experience,” Alibaba admitted.  


“...I can be a distraction,” Masrur said, sighing.  


Alibaba raised an eyebrow. “Not good at holding back?”  


“I'm out of practice.”  


“That's fine,” Ja'far assured him. “If you all work together, then that'll be alright.”  


“What about Judar? Is he coming to the final battle, you think?” Alibaba asked.  


“I don't know,” Ja'far admitted. “If he is, he'll probably stick with Falan. Though if you can convince him to work with you, I know he's strong in a fight.”  


“Really? He's younger than Masrur and Morgiana,” Alibaba said dubiously.  


“So's Aladdin,” Morgiana pointed out.  


Ja'far shrugged. “And Judar went up against Arba and survived. If the way he fought alongside Prince Hakuryuu is any indication, he can combine well with non-magicians.”  


“I'll keep that in mind,” Alibaba said, looking impressed.  


The light from the magic had turned to white. Everyone turned to look. Now there was a person visible within the crystal; a young woman with long, reddish-pink hair and a red, roughly diamond-shaped symbol on her forehead like Ugo's.  


“There she is,” Alibaba whispered, smiling.  


The glow of magic began to die down, and the crystal cracked and shattered. Falan stepped back, lowering her staff.  


Sheba opened her eyes, looking around at the group in confusion. “Aladdin, are you okay?” she asked, as her son ran up to hug her.  


“Yes! My friends helped me get out,” he explained. “But, um, things are kind of...”  


“A mess?”  


“Yeah.”  


Taking a deep breath, Sheba nodded. “...How long have I been sealed?”  


“A bit over nine months,” Ugo said.  


“You have _got_ to be kidding me!”  


Falan shook her head. “No, that's accurate. Um...” She looked down, clearly braced for Sheba to attack, to be angry. “Sheba, I'm so sorry.”  


But Sheba hugged her. “You changed your mind?” she asked, looked relieved. “Well, you must have, if you came back to help let me out! I _thought_ you and Wahid were hesitating before, so I'm not too surprised, really.”  


“Oh, gods dammit, Sheba, don't be happy to see me!” Falan protested. “I...not after everything I...”  


“I know, Falan. And yes, I'm mad at you, but right now that's not important. Remember, we _all_ did terrible things,” Sheba reminded her. “And we've proven already that we can still move forward. It's going to be okay.”  


Falan's shoulders shook; Ja'far didn't need to see her face to know she was crying, no matter how much she tried to hide it. “...Okay.”  


Sheba hugged her another moment, before turning to Ugo. “Alright, Ugo. Tell me what's happening- I'm sure it's bad, I need to know how bad. Two sentences or less.”  


“Solomon's sealed away- Falan's going to take us there so we can let him out again- and David's ghost is possessing someone, causing havoc, and seems to have sealed off Alma Torran,” Ugo said. “Arba is...out of the picture.”  


“Oh, is that all?” Sheba asked dryly. She rubbed her face. “Okay...okay. Who've we got? You, Falan, me...?”  


“...Well, Aladdin, Alibaba, Morgiana, another Fanalis, Falan's kid- powerful wizard, Queen Dunya of Mustasim- a powerful cleric- and Ja'far, who's, um, a fighter?” Ugo said.  


Sheba looked over the group again. “...So we've got us, Queen Dunya, and a bunch of kids?” she said. “Okay, this is going to be interesting. Falan, where's Solomon?”  


Wiping her eyes, Falan replied, “He's sealed in Il Ilah's old tower.”  


“But I checked there!” Ugo protested.  


“Yeah, you wouldn't have been able to find him while Sheba was sealed,” Falan replied. “Arba had this whole nasty formula going to keep Solomon from escaping; it's been disrupted now, with Sheba released. I bet she tied the stone Aladdin and David were in into the formula, too.”  


Sheba nodded. “So you really didn't know about Aladdin?”  


“No. Do you really think I would have been okay with what Arba did?”  


“No. But I was surprised Arba was doing it, in fairness.”  


Falan shivered. “Well, you didn't see what she did to her own kid.”  


“I have a lot of questions, but I guess that'll wait until after,” Sheba said grimly.  


“Right. Ugo, is Il Ilah's tower inside the barrier?” Falan asked.  


Ugo shook his head. “Just outside.”  


“Lucky for us,” Sheba said. “Okay. So the three of us can go there and free Solomon, and from there we'll stop David. Permanently, this time.”  


“One problem, Sheba,” Falan said. She pointed at the others. “While I agree that they're less well-suited to this, I also know that Ja'far will personally hunt us down if we don't take him with us. David's ghost isn't possessing just anyone, you know.”  


Sheba looked over at Ja'far. “...Someone important to you?”  


“The most important. Yes. I won't slow you down.”  


“Mom, you can't just leave us here,” Aladdin said. “We'll follow you if we have to!”  


Sheba looked at Ugo and Falan. “Um...”  


Falan sighed. “Look, if they're going to follow us anyway, we should just bring them. I'll fight anyone David's controlling alongside the kids and Queen Dunya, the rest of you can take David on.”  


“You'll protect them?”  


“I'd rather die than lose another kid the way I lost Tess. You know that.”  


Sheba closed her eyes. “...I know. Okay.” She scowled at the group. “We're bringing everyone, but you kids _have_ to listen to us. Whether you agree or not. Am I understood?” The younger members of the group nodded (though Ja'far couldn't help noticing Judar was somewhat slow to do so). Sheba sighed. “I would never do this if we had a choice, but...”  


“We don't have a choice, or time to persuade them to stay.” Ugo sighed. “Besides, you were Aladdin's age when you joined the Resistance.”  


“Yeah, and we wanted to make sure no one else had to do anything like that,” Falan pointed out.  


“Alright, everyone form up around Falan,” Ugo said. “Falan, you can get us all to where Solomon is, right?”  


Falan nodded. “Yeah, it's a much shorter jump.”  


The group formed a circle around Falan, and she raised her copper-headed staff. Sheba smiled. “You kept it?”  


“The staff? Well, yeah.” Falan shrugged, smiling. “Never had the heart to throw it out, you know?” She closed her eyes, performing the spell to teleport the group.  


The customary flash of green light came and went, and when it faded, they were in a room- though it hardly seemed like a room, because instead of walls, there were only a few pillars around the edges of the room to hold up the ceiling. Everything was made of elaborately carved white stone, and they seemed to be high up in a tower.  


“Here we are,” Falan said. “Ugo, I'm going to need your help with this- you're way smarter, and I don't know all of what Arba did.”  


“Oh...yeah, sure.”  


Sheba sighed. “Okay, everyone else, let's keep watch. That way we'll know the moment anyone comes to try and interfere.”  


“Right!”  


For a time, nothing seemed to happen; Ja'far tried to concentrate on the horizon, and not the glow of magic from behind him. But suddenly, something in the air _changed,_ became charged, and he turned around.  


Sin floated just above the ground, and he wasn't alone. Yamraiha, Sharrkan, and several other people Ja'far didn't recognize were there as well, all looking strangely blank. It was clear from Sin's eyes and expression that he wasn't himself, either. He wasn't looking at Ja'far; he was watching Ugo. Ja'far saw him raise his staff, and leapt into action.  


“Watch out!” His wires looped around Sin's arms, yanking him around.  


David's eyes widened; he clearly wasn't expecting to see Ja'far.  


Ja'far grinned. “Told you I'd be back. Now let Sin go.”


	39. Chapter thirty-nine

\---Sinbad POV

It was with dread and despair that Sinbad watched David approach the blue-haired wizard, ready to strike him down. No matter how much he wanted to fight, _tried_ to fight, it was steadily becoming more and more impossible to gain any traction against David's overwhelming presence in his mind. There was no way he was going to be able to get control of himself enough to even warn this poor guy.  


But then, the impossible happened. Sinbad could feel familiar red wires wrapping around his arms, and as his body was spun around- pulled away from the wizard David was about to attack- he felt his heart lift as a crushing weight was taken away.  


There was Ja'far, those beautiful grey eyes of his gleaming like steel. Sinbad felt relief, love and hope flood through him- even as he noticed how exhausted Ja'far looked. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his cheeks looked kind of hollow, his clothes were dirty and torn (worse than when they'd first met, even), and just what had _happened_ to him in Hell? At least he didn't look like he was hurt- nothing Sinbad could see, anyway.  


“I told you I'd be back,” Ja'far said, and he was grinning, defiant, despite everything. “Now let Sin go.”  


And David hadn't been expecting to see Ja'far here at all (which was saying something, where David was involved); he faltered in his shock, his grip on Sinbad's mind and body loosening, and Sinbad took full advantage, tearing control away from David with newfound strength. Re-taking his body fully for the first time in two weeks. “Ja'far! Are you alright?”  


“I'm fine, Sin! Hold on just a little longer, we'll get him out of your body,” Ja'far promised.  


David was already pressing against his mind again, forcing him into submission with no pretense at subtlety this time. Sinbad shoved back, trying to keep control just a little longer. “I'll hinder him as much as I can for you. Do whatever you have to, alright?” The pressure was already becoming overwhelming again, and Sinbad felt his defenses crumbling. “...Don't...let him hurt you.”  


“I'll do my best.”  


Sinbad managed to nod before David got the reins back. _I told you Ja'far would make it out,_ he reminded his possessor. _I told you he 'd come back to me. Guess you're not right about everything, are you?  
_

_I can correct for the Hellspawn's return. Keep fighting me, and I will not be able to hold back- I could kill him by mistake, if you are not careful.  
_

_Fuck you. I'm not falling for that._

\---Falan POV

Ja'far's intervention clued everyone else in to David's presence. And not just his; he had almost a dozen mind-controlled victims to fight for him as well. _Not that he probably needs them._ Falan let go of the enchantment threads she was holding, hands trembling with rage. “Falan, what are you doing?” Ugo asked, looking back and forth between her and David.  


Falan whispered a quick spell, pulling her information on Solomon's seal from her mind. She handed the orb to Ugo. “Here. This is what I know about the seal,” she said.  


“I can't do this alone,” Ugo said. “Falan, I know how you feel, but you can't-”  


“Yes, you can,” Falan said. “You're a genius, remember? I know you're way smarter than me, and I bet you're smarter than Arba, too.”  


“Falan's right,” Sheba interjected. “You're going to have to do this on your own from here, Ugo. We'll cover you. Get Solomon out of there!”  


Ugo hesitated, then nodded and began to work again.  


Falan didn't wait around; she hurried over to the kids. “Okay, guys. Dunya, you can dispel enchantments, right?” As she talked, she began casting protection and enchantments over the group. _Mass Bear's Endurance.  
_

“Yes.”  


“Aladdin, how about you?” _Mass Cat's Grace.  
_

“Not quickly, sorry!”  


“No worries, kiddo.” _Mass Fox's Cunning._ “Okay, Judar and Dunya will dispel mind control.” _Mass Owl's Wisdom._ “Work as fast as you can.” _Mage Armor on Judar._ “Morgiana and Aladdin, subdue David's victims so those two can get the control off 'em.” _Mage Armor on Aladdin._ “Masrur and Alibaba, distract them.” _Mage Armor on Masrur._ “I'll protect you all, and help where it's needed most.” _Mage Armor on Dunya. Dammit, Ja'far doesn't have proper armor either, where is he?  
_

There was a chorus of assent. Out of the corner of her eye, Falan saw Sheba and Ja'far squaring off against David. _My enchantments can't reach them from here... Maybe I can-_ But David was regaining his hold over Sinbad's body, and his 'puppets' were preparing to fight the group. There was no time to go to them.  


All she could do was keep her team alive, and hope Sheba could do the same for herself and Ja'far.

\---Ja'far POV

The lightning traveling along his wires was not from his knives. Ja'far felt his muscles lock, and his mental hold over the wires falter. His blades clattered to the ground, while David rose into the air. “You should not have returned.”  


Ja'far stumbled, shaking his head to clear the buzzing. “Right, because staying in Hell was such a good plan.” He called his blades back to his hands. “Believe it or not, I'm not stupid.”  


Lightning struck all around David. Sheba floated behind him, arms outstretched. “I thought we made it clear last time, David. You aren't welcome in this country, or this world. And you definitely aren't welcome to take over his body.”  


“I was invited back. By former comrades of yours, did you not hear?” David replied, sending out a storm of fireballs without lifting a finger. “As for this body, well. I was able to obtain permission to dwell here early on, thanks to a spell like this. It is not my fault that he is going back on his word.”  


Ja'far dodged the fireballs with some difficulty; even when they missed, they still burned him badly. He remembered superheated flames from a while back- Sin had used a powerful fire spell like this against Ithnan. “You've been trying to get into his body since before you were free of the stone?”  


“Of course. You've guessed, haven't you? In his rage, he called out for greater power- and he did not think to question from whence it came.” David chuckled. “He is the one who allowed me to remain in this world after the stone's destruction.”  


Enclosed in a bubble of magic, Sheba moved in front of Ja'far. “You really don't have the power to survive this,” she said. “Go help Falan and the others, I can handle this.”  


“No!” Ja'far's hands tightened on his blades. “I'm not leaving him.”  


This time, it was lightning raining down on them; there was no time to argue, and barely any time to dodge. Ja'far ran closer, keeping his wires close to him until the last second. He tried to snare David again, leaping at him.  


But it was as if David could see his movements ahead of time; he simply moved out of the way far too easily, and slammed Ja'far into a pillar with a blast of energy.  


Ja'far saw stars for a moment, but forced himself to stand up again quickly. The pain in his side suggested cracked ribs. But there was no time to worry about that; Sheba and David were trading attacks, and he had to take advantage of the distraction.

\---Morgiana POV

Whatever spells Falan had cast on the group, Morgiana liked them. Her body had never been so responsive, and her instincts and sight felt sharper than ever. She looked to Dunya. “Give me a target,” she said.  


“Bring me Yamraiha first,” Dunya replied.  


Morgiana nodded; she'd sort of been expecting that. “Alibaba!” she called out.  


He was by her side in a moment, flaming sword in hand. “Where do you want me?” he asked.  


“Help me cut her off from the man with white hair and a black sword.”  


“Got it.” He was moving faster than normal, too- it was almost distracting, seeing him like that.  


But as he crossed swords with the man standing with Yamraiha, Morgiana had to focus on her mission. She ducked around spells flying from all the wizards they were up against, running at Yamraiha. The half-elf's movements were slower, jerky; probably because she was being controlled.  


Morgiana grabbed her arms, pinning her hands behind her. She gathered Yamraiha into her arms, carefully holding her still. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aladdin had contained a couple others in bubbles. _Efficient.  
_

Since Yamraiha didn't look aware anyway, Morgiana wasn't sure she ought to knock her out. Instead, she ran her over to Dunya, holding Yamraiha in place easily as Dunya began to work her magic. Once Yamraiha stopped struggling, Morgiana let her go.  


Dunya didn't glance up. “Go find another one. This shouldn't take me long.”  


“Understood.” Morgiana ran back into the fray. That swordsman Alibaba was fighting would be a good choice; everyone else was using magic, so it would be easier if that was all they had to guard against.  


She came up behind him, grabbing his wrist to force him to drop his sword. Alibaba let out a sigh of relief, grinning at her. “Thanks. He's good, it was getting hard to keep from hurting him.”  


“Probably why David has him and not another wizard,” Morgiana said, carefully immobilizing his arms and legs.  


“Yeah. I'm going to go help Falan.”  


“Okay, be careful.”  


“You too.”

\---Ja'far POV

The battle had been raging for too long. His cuts and burns hurt, and his body was starting to become sluggish from exhaustion and blood loss. Ja'far didn't care. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered, besides trapping David and getting Sin back from him.  


Sheba was looking worn out and beat up, too, but at least she was still moving.  


“There is only one way this will end,” David pointed out, sending daggers of ice flying at the two of them.  


Ice didn't bother him as much. Ja'far didn't bother dodging for a change, leaping in and tackling David out of the air. He wrapped his wires tightly around Sin's body, pinning him forcibly to the ground. “Yeah?” he asked, not bothering to pull out the ice daggers stuck in his arms and body. They could wait. “Does it involve this?”  


“It was a possibility. Not a likely one,” David replied. He smirked. “You know he is at my mercy in here. There is nothing you can do to save him.”  


Sheba landed next to him, using ice to hold him in place. “Sorry, Sinbad! I'm sure it hurts, but I promise I'll heal you after,” she said.  


“Leave one of his hands free,” Ja'far said.  


“Huh? Oh, sure.”  


Ja'far dug into his pocket, taking out the ring Focalor had entrusted him with. “Sin, your grandfather says hello.” He forced the ring onto Sin's index finger.  


The reaction was instantaneous, and the resulting surge of magic threw Ja'far several feet. It would have been much further, but his wires were wrapped so tightly around Sin's body that he couldn't go far. His shoulder pulled so hard it nearly popped out of its socket.  


But none of that mattered. Ja'far pulled himself to his knees, checking for Sheba. She had been pushed back further, but was returning quickly. And Sin...  


His body was thrashing, glowing. The internal struggle was showing through on his body, and it was clearly painful. Ja'far stumbled to his side, grabbing his hand and holding on tightly. “Sin! You can do it, you can fight him,” he said.  


Sheba knelt on Sin's other side, her hands glowing white. “I'll see if I can help dispel David's hold on him,” she said. “Fighting enchantments from the inside is really rough, so he's going to want us here.”  


“Thank you,” Ja'far said quietly. The ice around Sin's body was breaking, but it didn't seem to matter. Whatever struggle was happening inside Sin's mind was all-consuming; neither Sin nor David were responding noticeably to their presence. Ja'far called his wires back; they weren't helping at this point.  


Sin was glowing golden-white, and it wasn't just Sheba's magic. Ja'far squeezed Sin's hand, searching his face for any sign of who was winning. _Valefor, please help him...please, give him the strength to get through this,_ he begged silently.  


Suddenly, he realized that Sin wasn't the only blinding glow anymore. Sheba stood up with a cry of relief.  


A young man- who didn't look much older than Sin- knelt beside him. He had long, braided blue hair and eyes, and looked stunningly similar to Aladdin. On his forehead was the same red symbol as Sheba and Ugo's. He was also glowing blue-white, and almost blinding to look upon.  


Solomon- it couldn't be anyone else- held a hand over Sin's chest. _“You've done most of my work already. Here, give him to me. I'll send him back where he belongs.”  
_

There was a pause, then a black fog rose out of Sin's body. Solomon gathered it into a ball, frowning at it for a moment. _“Begone from this world, and from all worlds of the living. The gods of the dead will know what to do with you.”  
_

The black fog vanished.  


Sin stirred, golden eyes opening. He looked up. “Ja'far...? Thought I told you not to let him hurt you,” he said, sounding exhausted.  


Ja'far laughed, hugging him tightly despite the inevitable, blinding pain. “Oh, shut up. I did my best.”  


Sin's arms wrapped around him, pulling him down against Sin's chest. “You're amazing,” he said, smiling. “I'm so glad you're alive...”  


“And you fought him off. You're safe now.” Ja'far's breath caught in his throat. “You're really...you're really alright? He's really gone?”  


“He's really gone.” Sin kissed him, and Ja'far felt tears of relief prick at his eyes. Sin was _safe.  
_

They weren't the only ones reuniting happily; Ja'far saw Solomon sweep Sheba up in a tight embrace, both laughing with relief. Aladdin bounced over to them, joining his parents.  


Masrur, Morgiana and Alibaba hurried over to them. “Are you two okay?” Alibaba asked.  


Ja'far helped Sin sit up. “I'm okay,” Sin said. “Could one of you grab a healer, though? Ja'far needs one.”  


“Oh- sure, I'll do that,” Alibaba said, but as he was about to stand up, Falan came over with Judar.  


She held her staff over the two of them, and healing energy flowed through them both. “Sheesh, you really can't go a couple hours without getting hurt, can you?” Falan asked, smiling at Ja'far.  


“Thanks. How are the others? The people David was controlling?” he asked, ignoring Sin's confusion for the moment.  


“They're all fine. We freed most of them before you all stopped David, and Dunya's checking everyone over to make sure there was no lasting damage,” Falan replied. “Don't really think there was, though, it's not really that kind of spell.”  


“So you're officially on our side, now?” Sin asked.  


“Yeah,” Falan said. “Sorry about before.”  


Sin shook his head. “You helped Ja'far, I'm feeling pretty forgiving.”  


Falan smiled. “Good. Okay, looks like everyone's fine- Judar, we should go.”  


“Already?” Judar asked.  


_“Wait a minute.”  
_

Falan visibly winced, turning to look at Solomon. “...Hi. I...” She sighed. “...I don't really know what to say to you, beyond 'I'm sorry'.”  


_“I know. I don't know what to say to you, either, but I think we could use the time to think about it before you leave.”_ Solomon looked over the group. _“You all fought hard, and have been through a lot.”  
_

“Come back with us,” Sheba said. “All of you. You can rest with us for a while before heading home. I mean, those of you who don't live with us anyway.”  


No one had the energy to protest; Ja'far could see Falan was the only one who might have even wanted to.  


Solomon nodded. _“Alright. Let's go home.”_ White light enveloped the group, and the tower faded from their sight.  


When the light faded, they were in a palace of some sort. Ugo laughed, surprised. “We're home? Well, I guess the barrier David put up came down when he...”  


_“He put a time stop over the entire country- I think he was trying to use that time to find me without interruptions,”_ Solomon replied. _“Anyway, everyone, make yourselves at home. There's room for all of you.”  
_

Ja'far sighed. Standing was going to be too much effort. “...Honestly, this floor is nice,” he muttered.  


Falan heard him. “Oh no you don't,” she said. “Sinbad, take this poor kid to bed, won't you? Make him sleep, I think he's done it like, once in the last two weeks.”  


“That doesn't sound possible,” Ugo commented. “Or, um, probable, either.”  


“I may have blacked out standing up a few times,” Ja'far said, shrugging. “If that helps. It...doesn't help, does it?”  


“No.”  


Sin stood (looking a little shaky, but hiding it pretty well). He pulled Ja'far gently to his feet. “Come on, Ja'far. Let's find you somewhere to sleep.”  


“Let's check on Yamraiha and Sharrkan first, though,” Ja'far replied, yawning.  


“I don't know if any of the people David hurt want to see my face right now,” Sin pointed out. “I can wait over here, if you-”  


“Sinbad! Ja'far! Are you two alright?” Yamraiha called out, running over to join the group with Sharrkan. She hugged them both. “Dunya told me about what happened- I don't remember much of it.”  


“You were saying?” Ja'far murmured. Sin just smiled at him, looking relieved.  


Sharrkan rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, that was pretty weird- I remember I went to check on you guys, but then things went really bad, so-”  


“-Sharrkan tried to protect me, but David just decided he'd be useful, too-”  


“-and once he started controlling us, we can't remember anything,” Sharrkan finished.  


“You were controlled for two weeks, and all you have to say is that it was 'pretty weird'?” Ja'far asked dryly.  


Sharrkan shrugged. “Hasn't sunk in yet, I guess. Anyway, you look like hell, what happened to you?”  


“Hell, actually.”  


“Yeah, that's why it took two weeks to free us,” Sin explained. “Ja'far had to get back from another plane first. Neither of you are hurt, though?”  


“Nope, we're okay.”  


Yamraiha nodded. “We were more worried about you, honestly.”  


“We're fine,” Ja'far assured her.  


It took some effort- mostly from Sheba and Falan, though Dunya joined them quickly- to shepherd all the children, mind-control victims, and everyone else into rooms so they could rest, but eventually Sin and Ja'far found themselves in a comfortable, quiet room.  


Sin led Ja'far to the bed, taking the opportunity to remove Ja'far's clothes (and his own) along the way. “Time for you to sleep. You're going to need what, a week to make up for lost time?” he asked playfully.  


“Mmm, something like that,” Ja'far replied. He pulled Sin down onto the bed with him, wriggling close so he could rest his head on Sin's chest. “I want to kiss you and...things, but right now-”  


Sin kissed the top of his head. “Believe me, we're going to get to that. Not until you've slept, though. I'll be happy enough just holding you until then.”  


“I love you,” Ja'far mumbled, arms tightening around Sin. “Glad I got you back...”  


“Love you, too, Ja'far. And trust me, so am I.” Sin kissed the base of one of Ja'far's horns.  


Ja'far smiled, finally letting himself relax and drift off.  


Finally, everything was alright again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tune in next week for the epilogue!


End file.
